Tell Him
by mybrowneyes
Summary: Stephanie finally tells Ranger she wants a relationship. Ranger just got more than he bargained for in a pair of puppies.
1. Chapter 1

**__**

Week 27

Tell Him

Stephanie was staring into her Margarita at 'The Sombrero'. Lula, Connie, Mary Lou, and Grandma all came out to cheer Stephanie up. Joe was history after Stephanie finally realized a tall dark Cuban had her heart and no one else would do, but that same man had yet to make a move. No matter how many trips to 'Pleasure Treasures' she made with Lula or purchased the newest state-of-the-art shower massager with 900 different pulse and vibration combinations, these did nothing to dull the ache for Ranger. She tried to ignore the itch, but the stolen kisses in the alley just made it impossible.

"Maybe, I'll just give up on Ranger. I could join a convent or get a puppy to keep me company."

Lula was shaking her blonde streaked hair, "No way, Skinny White Girl. You and Batman are made for each other. The way he looks at you. He wants you."

"He wants me in his bed. No ring, no commitment. I need more. He has a 'No Relationship' rule, remember," Stephanie gulped down her drink and made quotes in the air. "Do nuns still wear those black gowns?"

"Where's the girl who snuck out by way of the drain pipe? If there's a will, then there's a way," Mary Lou told her best friend. "Tell Ranger what you want. Tell him."

"I can't, Mar. I don't want to lose his friendship. We may never be more than that, but I don't want to risk it."

Grandma spoke up, "Forget the friendship, and just go for the Cuban package!"

"Grandma!"

"We need a plan!" Lula told the group.

"Let's do one of those interceptions with that Hottie, but I want to see his package first. Maybe, he ain't got enough to satisfy my Baby Granddaughter's Gypsy hormones. She can't let them shrivel up into nothingness in Nun land."

Mary Lou corrected, "It's an intervention."

"Whatever. We'll get that hottie to admit his feelings. Then, there goes my favorite grandbaby riding off with him in that hot car to get lots of it."

"And a Bat Baby in that oven, too," Lula patted Stephanie's flat stomach.

Stephanie looked down at her stomach. "A baby?" She got a warm feeling. Ranger's baby. It was right. The two of them raising their baby. What a thought! Not! When did that happen, the motherhood thing? Coming to her senses, Stephanie told them, "I'll settle for a puppy. I might have more luck. Dogs love you unconditionally. Ranger doesn't do anything unless he wants to do it."

"But we're good. The Sisterhood of the Skinny White Girl." Lula said her arms around Mary Lou, Connie, and Grandma in a group hug. "Now here's what we're going to do."

**Few Days Later at the Bonds Office:  
**  
"Let's just jump on him about My Girl when the Wizard walks in here. Once he admits he loves Stephanie then we send him to Point Pleasant so they recreate that beach scene from 'Here to Eternity' with Stephanie and Batman going at each other right there with the waves splashing them. I'm getting all tinglely at the thought."

Grandma added, "My Baby Granddaughter isn't meant to be no Nun."

The door opened with Ranger and Tank.

"Ladies," Ranger's eyes scanned for Stephanie, not seeing her. "Who's a Nun?"

"Skinny White Girl is talking about taking the vow and joining, or getting a puppy. You ain't putting no smile on her face. Don't you love her?" Boldly going where few ever venture, Lula was right up in his face.

Ranger's blank face was in place staring back at her. Tank was guarding the door behind him.

Mary Lou said from a safe distance away at Connie's desk, "You both care about each other, but if you don't want anything more beyond friends, let Stephanie go. She deserves to find someone to love."

He still hadn't said a word, but there was a twitch in his cheek. "Where is Stephanie?" finally asking.

"Away. She's thinking about what she should do. She is not Nun material, but no man can even come close to you in her heart. She needs a Bat baby, too!"

That got the corners of his mouth to turn up slightly.

Frank Plum stepped out of Vinnie's office, "A grandson would be nice,' he bellowed.

It became of muffle of voices around Ranger. Lula was asking if he loved Stephanie. There was still talk of Bat babies. A puppy for Stephanie. Stephanie dating other men. Becoming a Nun. It was all swirling around him making his Cuban head spin.

He swayed and collapsed to the floor.

Standing behind him was Grandma Mazur with a stun gun. "What! He needs to tell Stephanie himself and she needs to tell him. Let's get him to Point Pleasant."

Everybody was looking at Ranger's body on the floor.

"I don't want to be around him when he wakes up," Tank walked over to his prone form.

He picked his boss up by the shoulders. Frank grabbed his feet to carry Ranger out. They buckled him in back seat of the Hummer. Frank slid into the front seat. Grandma, Lula, Mary Lou, and Connie all climbed in making sure Edna couldn't get her hands on Ranger's zipper.

The Hummer pulled up to a saltbox style townhouse she was renting in Point Pleasant for a few days. Stephanie's blue CRV parked in the driveway.

"Let's get him in there before he starts waking up," Tank came around to the back door of the SUV. Lula was knocking on the townhouse door.

"What's going on?" Stephanie asked as Tank and her father carried an unconscious Ranger past her.

The Merry Man asked, "Bedroom?"

She pointed up the stairs.

"Your Granny stunned him, Skinny White Girl," Lula told her. Now worried Batman would send her in a box somewhere not even on a map. "We thought it would be better if he wakes up with you."

"Tell him what you want, Steph. If he doesn't want the same, ride him until his package falls off, then kick him to the curb," Grandma instructed.

A small puppy came running out of the kitchen. It was black and white spotted like a Dalmatian with long loppy ears and body."

"What's that?" Frank picked it up.

"He's part Dalmatian and part Weiner dog. Someone abandoned him at the animal shelter."

He was licking her father's face, 'I wonder why?"

"Let's go," Tank came running down the steps. "He's starting to come to."

Grandma, Lula, Connie, Mary Lou, and Tank went flying out the door. Frank kissed her cheek, gave her the puppy, and followed suit jumping in the Hummer as it peeled out from behind Stephanie's SUV.

Walking down the hallway, Stephanie left the puppy in the kitchen and went up the stairs.

In the master bedroom, Ranger was lying on the bed; an arm was cuffed above his head to the bedpost. Stephanie saw his eyelids fluttering. She stood by the bed waiting for him to fully wake up. His head moved from side to side, long hair brushing over the pillows. His cuffed arm moved slightly from his weight.

"Babe," chocolate eyes focusing on Stephanie.

Letting out the breath she was holding, "Ranger, you're in Point Pleasant."

"Who stunned me?"

"Grandma."

That got a slight chuckle.

Wringing her hands behind her back, Stephanie was working up the courage to speak to the Cuban God. "Just listen, then I'll unlock you. I want more than kisses in an alley. I need more than kisses in an alley," raising her eyes to Ranger seeing he was listening to her, "but my problem is you're in my heart like no one has ever been. I want more, Ranger, from you. I want to be in a relationship more than what we have. You have become one of my best friends, but I can't be just your bed mate. I want to know you. I want to go out with you. Dancing, dinner, couple stuff. I just love you and want to be with you."

His eyes never left her face. "OK."

"OK. That's all you can say. Ok!" Stephanie started pacing waving her hands. "Ok. All you say is OK. I tell you what I want and you say 'OK'. No other word." She was so into her tirade with Italian hand gestures and stomping she actually forgot about Ranger. Just walking out still talking to herself.

He heard her walking heavily down stairs and a screen door slam. From outside, he still could hear her voice muttering to herself.

Reaching into his wallet with his free hand, he pulled out a pick. After letting himself loose and using the bathroom, Ranger went in search of Stephanie. He stepped out in the hot summer afternoon. Catching a glimpse of Stephanie up the beach, Ranger slipped his black t-shirt off and tossed it on the hood of her CRV. He toed off his boots and stuck his socks inside, then began walking up the beach.

She was running at the water's edge with something on short legs. A really big Guinea pig, possibly. Then he heard a "Yip". That couldn't actually be a dog. It was spotted with long floppy ears that it tripped over rolling in the sand. Stubby legs and longer body.

Stephanie had it in the water washing the sand off.

Chuckling, "Babe, what s it?"

"My puppy. It was the convent or a puppy for companionship. He's a Dweiner. Toby's mother was a Dalmatian and his father a Weiner Dog."

Shaking his head, trying not to laugh. "That's impossible. A Dalmatian is here," holding his hand up by his slim waist. "A Dachshund is down here," his other hand low to the ground.

"I wasn't present when they mated. Toby and his sister, Tia, were left at the shelter. I thought about adopting them both, but she was still recovering from her girl operation. Twin Dweiners."

"I wonder why?" his Cuban eyebrow arched.

Toby didn't like the comment. He ran over and bit the bottom of Ranger's cargos.

Stephanie's blue eyes couldn't remove their line of vision from his sculpted Mocha latte chest.

"If you want, you can take my SUV and drive back to Trenton. Daddy can pick Toby and I up at the end of the week."

"No," tipping her chin up. "I'm here now. So, you want to do this couple thing?"

Stephanie sucked in her breath.

"I'm not an easy person and I have almost no relationship experience. But, one thing I do know, Babe, you are quite capable of making your own decisions and I don't ever want you to change. And, I love you."

"OK."

Smirking at Stephanie, "Just OK?"

"Yes," jumping in his arms sealing it with a long toe curling breath stealing kiss with lots of whispering "I love you" in between.

Walking back to her rented townhouse, "Babe, is there someplace I can buy some clothes?"

"This is the beach. Black may be in short supply."

"I can live with that."

Stephanie picked up her puppy, Ranger was rubbing its soft black ears, "When I get back to Trenton, I guess I'll have to find somewhere else to live that has a yard for Toby."

"We'll work on it together. There is really another dog out there that looks like him?" Laughing at the strange puppy, admitting he was actually cute.

"Yep."

As Ranger got behind the wheel of her CRV, Stephanie moved a plastic crate to the backseat and put the seatbelt around it, then put Toby in it. "What? I don't want him to fall off the seat. I'm not sure if they make a doggie car seat."

Shaking his head as he often does when Stephanie's involved, "Babe, I love you."

****

P. S.

After shopping and dinner, Stephanie and Ranger were walking hand in hand on the beach watching the sunset with their twin Dweiners--Toby and Tia.


	2. Chapter 2

Tank was sitting at his desk laughing. Ranger had walked in followed by the Dwieners twins. Looking across his desk at him were three sets of brown eyes. After his boss sat down in one of the leather club chairs, each stood up sp Ranger could pick them up. One on each side of him in the chair as hands began rubbing their long silky black ears.

"What?"

Tank still chuckling, "I never took you for a dog person. Those are the goofiest looking mutts."

"I wasn't, but Stephanie wanted them. If she hears you say that about her babies, she'll rip your tongue out."

"What about the dog bed in your office? The afternoon you took Stephanie to meet your parents, we were all howling when your Porsche pulled out with them," Tank was pointing at the puppies, "in the back."

"We couldn't leave them in the apartment so they didn't chew anything. Momma and Poppa loved Stephanie. These two grew on them. Momma laughed when they dug up her flower garden. It made the weeds easier to pull. The Plum's have holes in their yard, too."

His shaved head was lying on his desk as he was in a laughing fit, "A Bad Ass with hotdogs. It's too much. Even dinners with Stephanie's family. You have it bad, Ranger. Are you two still looking for a house?"

His eyebrow went up and nodded his head at the two sleeping puppies, "Yeah, but nothing we liked. Stephanie's puppies need a yard to dig up and run in on these short legs."

Ranger's cell phone rang, "Yo. I'm not busy, Babe. Give me the address. They were sleeping until the phone rang. I'll bring them. See you in ten."

Putting both puppies on the floor, he got up from the chair, "Stephanie was driving Mary Lou home from the mall and found a house. We're going to see it," looking down at the two long black and spotted bodies with wildly wagging tails. "That was Mommy."

Tank could hear their little barks when Ranger went into his office for their leashes, pink for Tia and blue for Toby. Tank was waiting at the elevator bent over amused watching his ex-Army buddy try and walk casually to the elevator with boy and girl colored leashes in his hand and the little puppies running for the elevator barking because they were going "Bye Byes with Daddy" as Stephanie called it.

"Where are you going?"

Tank was choking on his words, "I want to go for a ride, too."

Coming out of the elevator, both tinkled on the newspaper that was on the floor before getting in the Porsche.

It was hilarious as they drove to join Stephanie, there were little smeared nose prints on the back windows as Toby and Tia watched. Ranger didn't let dust settle on his cars, but he had doggie nose prints! It was too much. Tank was going to have a stroke from lack of oxygen from laughing so much.

The Porsche turned into a neighborhood they recognized near Mary Lou's and drove to back street. Stephanie's blue CVR was in the driveway of a ranch house. She came running off the front porch and into Ranger's arms.

"Babe, this looks nice. It's smaller than the houses we've seen so far."

"Wait until you see inside and the back yard is fenced it," Stephanie told him. "You came along for ride, Tank?"

He started chuckling, "I can't believe he lets them in the Porsche, let alone nose prints," pointing to the smears on the windows of it.

"They're family," Stephanie stooped down and picked up Tia while Toby jumped at Ranger to be held. "Were you good for Daddy?"

Ranger smirked, "Babe."

"This is Christine, the Realtor," Stephanie introduced the dark haired young woman on the front porch.

Extending his hand to her, "Carlos Manoso."

"It's a pleasure to meet you," returning his hand shake. "My, what unusual puppies!"

"Toby and Tia are Dalmatian and Wiener dog mixes. They're our Dwieners. This is our friend, Tank."

"Welcome. Let me give you a tour."

Stephanie took both puppies out into the backyard while Ranger and Tank walked through the house. It was a three bedroom house with two full baths. A powder room was off the den in the basement. There was new kitchen with almond cabinets and appliances, not that Stephanie cooked. French doors off the dining room led out to a cement patio.

"Wow!" Tank surprised by the landscaped yard.

Christine showed them the backyard. At the edge of the patio was a small in-ground wading pool.

Ranger was looking into the clear blue water; movement caught his eye under the shade trees. Stephanie and the puppies were running along the back fence.

"This is really nice, Ranger. If you don't buy this, I may. It's not real big and ready to move-in condition."

"It is nice. I would like more land, but I know Stephanie really doesn't want to move too far from her parents. And, Mary Lou is close by for her as is Rangeman." He waved his hand to get Stephanie's attention, "Babe."

"What do you think?" Stephanie jogged over to them. "The den could be your office."

He nodded, "I like it."

Tank started laughing again, "So do they."

There was Toby and Tia dogging paddling in the wading pool to cool off.

Ranger turned to the real estate agent, "Consider the house sold."


	3. Chapter 3

**__**

Tell Him

Part 3

Week 30 Challenge

A Rangeman SUV pulled into the driveway and parked next to Ranger's Bad Ass black truck. The garage door was up showing his Porsche and Stephanie's blue CRV parked inside. Opening the gate, Toby and Tia greeted the Merry Men. Ranger was sitting in reclining lounge chair drinking a beer under a big cream and rust flowered Pagoda style umbrella. The patio table set for dinner. The new grill was fired up; Stephanie was turning hamburgers and hot dogs.

"Hey, Guys. Come on in," Stephanie told them.

Ranger had disappearred and came out the French doors with beersfor everyone.

Bobby said as he was looking around, "Wow, this looks nice out here. Nothing like it did when you were moving in."

Tank was walking around the yard looking at all the holes in the ground, "How long have you been in this house?" sitting down on the glider and drinking his beer.

"A week. I've filled in the holes once," pointing to bags of topsoil along the fence. "Stephanie was planting flowers. Those two," nodding to the puppies digging under the Maple tree, "helped her dig, and then dug up the flowers. Stephanie put them in planters." There two large cream planters with dark pink geraniums and vines were on the edge of the patio.

Each was running over and dropped dirt covered bones by Ranger's feet, "Quit digging," he told them as they wagged their little tails at him, barked, and ran off to dig somewhere else in the yard.

"Ranger," Stephanie grinned, "they're puppies and having fun. It's only dirt."

Eyebrow raised, "I keep telling myself that. Stephanie cried when they got shots at the Vets today."

"It hurt. You heard them when they yelped. That's why they got new chewies at the pet store to help them forget."

"Yeah, and they buried them out here when we got home," looking down at the dirt covered bones.

Tank was laughing, "For as much as you're grumbling, you're loving this," waving his hands at the house and yard.

"I am," hugging Stephanie then picked up the big grilling spatula and put the food on the platter.

Lester came out of the house carrying a bowl of pasta salad and Bobby with a platter of toppings for the burgers. Stephanie followed with slices of juicy watermelon and cantaloupe and two small bowls of puppy food.

"Tank, can you get more beers?"

Everyone sat down at the glass table and dug into the food. Toby and Tia were crunching their puppy chow as they ate.

"The house looks great," Bobby said between bites of his hamburger.

Lester was grinning, "Nice pool table downstairs. Which is our room?"

Ranger put down his turkey burger, "None. Get your own house if you want, Santos. Rangeman is only 10 minutes away."

He blinked at his friend and got a sad expression, "But, we were like one big family and you were the Dad, Ranger. You left us."

Stephanie giggled she had picked up Toby and waved a paw, "Tell Uncle Lester about the small house that's two blocks over."

"Really?" Bobby asked.

"It's a little blue sided house. The real estate agent for this house, Christine, just listed it. It's one block up and one to the left."

Lester nodded to Bobby, "Let's go look at it."

Raising an eyebrow, "Babe, this is a nice neighborhood. Why ruin it?"

"Because I'm looking for puppy sitters for us. Mommy and Daddy can't leave their little puppies alone if we're out for an entire evening, can we?"

"No, Babe," giving Stephanie an almost 'Burg' eye roll.

"Let's save dessert for when we get back, Bombshell," Bobby was clearing his plate and silverware.

Lester gathered his, "Can we take them for a walk?"

"Their leashes are hanging by the broom closet in the kitchen," Stephanie called after them. "We'll have the brownies later."

"Dinner was excellent, Babe," pulling Stephanie down into his lap as they watched Bobby and Lester leave with the puppies.

"Thank, Ella. She made the pasta salad. I did cut the cantaloupe and watermelon and didn't burn anything on the grill. Mom made the brownies."

"It was still good because it was in our house."

Tank got up with his dishes, "Can I look around?"

"Sure, Tank. I'll load the dishwasher and Ranger can show you what we have done so far."

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Stephanie, Ranger, and Tank were dangling their feet in the wading pool when Bobby, Lester, and puppies came back.

"The house looks real nice from what we could see through the windows. Christine is going to show it to us tomorrow," eagerly Bobby explained.

Lester was ready to split a seam he was so excited, "While we were looking at the house, two girls were walking a brown Dachshund and made a fuss over your puppies. They're renting half of a duplex three doors down."

"And, Mr. Smoothie here to score points," Bobby was pointing to his partner, "tells them we were thinking about getting a Weiner dog, too!"

"Listen, you two," Ranger was trying to sound authoritative, 'Rangeman is not a doggie daycare center."

Lester stated, "Your puppies are there!"

"I own the company!"

"Ranger," Stephanie said sweetly, "Toby and Tia would enjoy having a playmate."

His chocolate eyes staring and his eyebrow up, "Fine," watching the Dwieners digging a new hole with dirt flying on the other side of the maple tree. "When the professional diggers have dug up this yard, we'll send them to yours."

Stephanie giggled at Ranger, "They're puppies doing puppy things."

"No, they're amateur puppies who don't quit," Ranger said with two dirty little puppies licking his face.


	4. Chapter 4

Stephanie was on their patio stripping an old bench she found in a second hand store. She and Ranger hadn't found anything so far they liked to decorate the entry. Her father was making a shelf with pegs to hang coats. After explaining what she had to do, she and the Dwieners stopped at the hardware store to buy the solvent and the same color of stain Frank was using.

Glancing around the yard, Toby and Tia were busy digging. Ranger was going to have a fit when he saw the size of hole they dug. It was so deep that she saw only Toby's tail sticking out. What they expected to find, she'll never know.

Ranger was bringing home Chinese for dinner. He had an afternoon meeting with a new client, so she and the puppies went shopping before coming to the house. Surprised, the owner of the second hand store allowed Stephanie to wander around the old warehouse with the puppies on their leashes. Hopefully, Ranger would like the pair of old wicker rocking chairs the owner delivered sitting on the front porch along with the bench and an old cabinet for his office area.

This wasn't the type of house Ranger wanted to buy. They had looked at houses way bigger than this one with massive yards. She convinced his to look smaller but found something wrong with each one. It was just them with the two puppies so they didn't need 5 bedrooms. This yard, what was left of it, was a nice size with a shady corner in the back and the rest open to the sun. She was smiling at all the holes in the yard. The evenings with the warm temperatures were spent in the wading pool or sitting in the lounge chairs around the fire pit. Rangeman installed the top of the line security. She was surprised a voice didn't call out 'GET OFF THE GRASS!' if someone walked too near it. The short time they have lived here, the Cuban man seemed contented except for the holes.

Toby and Tia ran over to the fence barking as they could hear the Porsche coming up the driveway along the house and turn into the garage. Stephanie's SUV was parked in the turn-around since the used filing cabinet was in her spot.

"Babe, what's this stuff?" Ranger asked as he came through the gate looking delectable in his dark business suit carrying dinner and his briefcase. "What are you doing?"

The puppies were jumping up to be greeted which he rubbed their black silky ears before he could get in the gate to shut it.

"After leaving Rangeman, we stopped at a used furniture store. I found the wicker rockers on the front porch, this bench," tapping it with her rubber gloved hand, "and that cabinet I thought you could use in your office. It has shelves and a large, deep drawer with built in separators for files. Daddy explained how I was to strip the old finish off of this and bought stain to match the coat rack he's making for the entry."

"It's all nice, but, Babe," kissing Stephanie, "we have more than enough money to buy new furniture."

Giving a 'Burg' eye roll, "Ranger, we didn't find anything we liked. I saw this and it has a nice curve to it. Simple for the entry."

The puppies were pushing at Ranger's black leather briefcase he laid on the foot stool, "What are they doing?"

Removing her rubber gloves and walking over to it, Stephanie pulled dog biscuits out of the front pocket, "Getting the treats that Daddy brought home for them."

"Babe," raising an eyebrow, "I've been lugging those around with me?"

"Did Daddy bring you those?"

Toby and Tia were happily munching then ran back to their deep hole, turning back and barking for Ranger to come see their masterpiece.

He walked over with Stephanie and looked in the hole, "Look how deep that is!"

Pointing to the hole with two sets of brown eyes watching him and tails wagging so fast you would think they were going to fly off their bodies. "Are you two trying to escape?" shaking his head.

The puppies ran back over to the briefcase looking for more treats.

Ranger was standing by the hole doing his best "Babe" stance with hands on his hips, "Do I look like Treat Man?"

Reaching in the front pocket, Stephanie handed each puppy another biscuit. She glanced over she shoulder licking her lips with a seductive smile, "I really love your goodies, especially your snausage," winking at Ranger, teasing him with her wiggling butt, then taking off through the French doors.

Watching the merriment in her blue eyes, Ranger was paralyzed momentarily by  
Stephanie's beauty and his love for her. Her words finally registered in his brain, his suit pants just slightly tighter and getting tighter imagining a dark lit puppy-less bedroom, he took off after her at in full throttle mode ripping his tie off his body laughing, "Babe!"


	5. Chapter 5

****

Tell Him

Part 5

Ranger tested the water under the bubbles in their big Jacuzzi tub. It was a feature of the house that he really enjoyed. In the dark lit bathroom, he could forget about the growing number of holes that were in the once really nice green backyard. He chuckled to himself; it wasn't as bad as he made it out to be, really.

Having no experience with animals, the closest had been Rex, Stephanie's hamster who had a new sunny spot near the bay window in the breakfast nook. Now there were puppies with their long black and white spotted bodies, stumpy legs, and long silky ears running around digging up the yard. Stephanie loved both of them to death. Her babies on four short legs. When he came to in Point Pleasant after being stunned by Grandma and his senses, he saw right away Stephanie's joy on the beach and her attachment to the odd puppy. He couldn't ignore it. And when they stopped at the shelter and Toby's sister was all alone in the kennel, how could he say 'No'.

A relationship was give and take on both people involved he was learning. Toby and Tia did provide a lot of comic relief. And, admitting it to no one but himself because he would never hear the end of it from the guys, when he came back to the office after a security call, he was disappointed when the Dwiener twins didn't meet him at the elevator like they usually do when he had been out of the office. They were sound asleep under Stephanie's desk wore out from playing ball with the guys. He should hang a sign on the building announcing the opening of 'RangeDog Doggie Center'. Bobby and Lester were adopting a brown curly haired Dachshund-Poodle mix or Woodle to impress their 'new' neighbors. Their bid on the blue house was accepted.

Even, Tank was thinking about putting in a bid on a move-in condition Cape Cod one block up from their house if Lula liked it. Stephanie and the Dwieners would take a walk and end up at Mary Lou's house or her, Lenny, and their boys here at least one night during the week. The Merry Men hung out, too, because it wasn't the same with them not living in 7.

He caught her movement in the mirror. Stephanie stepped into the bathroom wrapped in white fluffy bath sheet breaking Ranger's thoughts, "Babe."

His fingers unraveling the towel for her, letting it drop to the floor, and picking her up as he lowered both of them into the warm, bubbling water.

Stephanie pulled back from their kiss, "Ranger, be honest with me. Would we have bought this house if you had seen it first?"

He watched her face and knew he would never lie to the woman he loved. Shaking his head, "No."

Her gaze was immediately adverted down, "Oh."

A soapy finger tipped her chin back up, "I looked at bigger houses because that's what the agent Rangeman used showed me. Mostly for show since I am a business owner. I like this house. It's becoming home for us as we make it ours. I don't like drawing attention to myself and what better way that to live in a modest house in the suburbs."

"Really? I don't want you live somewhere just for me."

His eyes softening, "Once I met you, Babe, I had no reason to go back to Miami to live. If we ever become more than two adults," chuckling at the four brown eyes looking at them on the tub steps, "two digging dogs, and a hamster, then we'll find something bigger."

"OK."

Before Ranger could stop Toby, the puppy jumped into the Jacuzzi followed by Tia.

"What are you doing?!" he yelled

Stephanie was giggling at the puppies in the bubbles.

Huffing with that damned sexy raised Cuban eyebrow, "I'm not soaking with a puppy!"

Toby was licking his chin standing on Ranger while Tia was in Stephanie's soapy arms.

"They like water, Ranger."

What was he going to do, if he put the puppies out of the tub, then they would get the bathroom all wet. The romantic mood somewhat broken.

"When we get out, we'll unsoap them in the shower," Stephanie explained. "They have been it with me. They like it."

"I'm a Bad-Ass. Bad-Asses don't take baths with their puppies."

Wet, soapy tails were wagging in the bubbles he could see and big brown puppy dog eyes staring at him.

"We know they're puppies, but they don't!" Stephanie told him leaning over to kiss his delectable lips. "My Bad-Ass happens to be very lovable. He can leave the image at the office because I love all of him."

"Fine," shaking a wet finger, "don't make this a habit."

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Tank couldn't control his laughter or the tears running down his face watching Ranger across the boss's desk, "And then they jumped in the tub! We had to shower with them to get the bubbles off!"

Laughing, trying to speak, "You're in love, big time!"


	6. Chapter 6

****

Tell Him

Part 6

"Are You Missing Something?"

Ranger was watching the Dweiner twins furiously digging in the back yard under their favorite tree. Maybe gold, the way he could see dirt flying. Also, the puppies were tugging at something. So, being naturally curious and a good pet owner that Stephanie convinced him he should be, he went to investigate. Besides, Stephanie would chew him a new one if anything happened to her landscaping crew.

He pulled their treasure out of their ditch and held it up. It was filthy and drooled upon. The Cuban eyebrow rose as he shot them the look that caused men to shake in their boots. Their little tails were wagging and stopped in mid wag. "Ever hear of Hamburgers. The cornerstone of any nutritious breakfast, lunch, or dinner. I'll make an exception and eat more hamburgers! That's what you two are going to be!"

Sad puppy dog eyes peering back, Toby and Tia looked at each other and took off towards the house yelping. Within seconds Stephanie was out the French doors, puppies in her arms.

"Ranger, why did you scare them? They were hiding behind the chair frightened out of their little Dwiener minds!"

"Look!" He was swinging a dirty sneaker by its laces. "I found the sneaker I was missing and threatened the thieves they would end up on the grill as hamburger patties!"

Stephanie gave him her squinty eyes, "Ranger! They're babies!"

"It was my shoe! I had to get new ones."

"You said you needed a new pair, but didn't go to the mall to buy any. They  
helped you."

Ranger couldn't deny the crazy logic. Stephanie was his woman and it was a part of his life. He did put off the purchase avoiding the mall as long as he could. So, when one was missing, he had no choice but to go shopping. "I liked those gym shoes. They were broken in."

She put Toby in his arm, "Now make up with them. Daddy didn't mean what he said to you," rubbing Tia against her cheek."

"Babe," Ranger said as he began petting the puppy's soft, short hair.

"You better make-up or I'll go find me a block of wood, a bucket of ice, and a hatchet! Just imagine what I'll do with those."

Seeing the determination in her blue eyes, "I won't make you into hamburgers, Toby. Mommy would grind me up first."

Stephanie was giggling, "Most of you. I'd keep your best Cuban asset."

"That's all the matters to you, Babe!"

"Maybe," kissing Ranger's pout.

Toby and Tia were wiggling to get down, Tank was coming around the garage, "Fight nice, kiddies. Come to Uncle Tank," he said as the puppies were licking his face wrapped in his massive arms.

"Look, what the destruction crew did," holding up the dirty shoe.

Tank was on the ground laughing. The puppies crawling over him.

"Ranger, you left those shoes out on the patio," Stephanie told him. "This is their play yard."

Exasperated, Ranger knew he was losing the battle, "I didn't want to track dirt in the house from filling up their holes!"

"Man, just it give up," Tank laughed. "Puppies 1. Ranger 0. It's not like you can't afford new shoes."

Ranger watched his friend now sitting with his feet dangling in their wadingpool and puppies swimming, "You're visiting for a reason?"

"Just coming to visit my new neighbors and their babies. Lula and I sign the papers on Friday for the Cape Cod."

"We'll have new neighbors, Ranger. Congratulations!"

Shaking his head, "I can't get away from you idiots, can I?"

"Nope," Tank gave his one word answer just as Bobby and Lester were closing the gate. Samson, their Woodle, taking off for the hole in the back where Toby and Tia digging. The old sneaker was missing again


	7. Chapter 7

__

Tell Him

Week 35 Challenge

"Who took my Wallet?"

"I know one of you or both of you did it. Hand it over." Ranger was towering over the Dweiners grumbling at them.

Four big brown eyes were looking at him, their bodies wiggling from fast windows wipers attached to them.\

"Standing there wagging your tails isn't going to help you. **If you lie by omission, it's still a lie. **I know you're puppies, but fess up. Which hole did you bury my wallet in?"

Toby and Tia barked at him and took off running to a hole by the fence. Ranger walked over with the shovel and dug it up. No wallet. They ran to the next one, which he dug up.

Stephanie was watching her man go digging up each hole the puppies went to around the yard.

Once the last one was dug up and the yard looked like the golf course Carl blew up in 'Caddyshack'.

"What did you do with it?" Where's my wallet?" Ranger was hissing. "You two are more trouble than you're worth."

"That's mean, Ranger! What are you looking for?" Stephanie looked like she would any second break into rhino mode because he was yelling at her babies.

"My wallet! It's missing. I know they took it," pointing at the pair beside him.

"That's silly! Where are they going to do with it, a shopping spree at

'Puppies R Us'?"

"Babe, crazier things have happened."

Giving him a 'Burg" eye roll, she held up his wallet.

He looked at her, down at the puppies, and back at his woman, "Where did you find it?"

"It was in the jeans you wore last night to Pino's. I was going to do laundry."

He looked at her, an eyebrow shot up. Remembering why he was in such a hurry to get out of his clothes last night. He had to fly to Boston to meet with a potential high profile client and really missed his Babe. A sheepish expression came over him.

Stephanie was look at him with a no-nonsense face, "Tell them you're sorry and you love them."

Ranger bent down and petted the puppies crawling over him, "I like you."

"Where did I hear 'If you lie by omission, it's still a lie'? You need to set an example for our puppies."

He huffed and knew he wasn't getting out of this, "Mommy and I love you."

The puppies were licking his face. He swears they understood what they said.

Stephanie hugged her Dweiners, "Since Daddy yelled at you for no reason, go dig a hole to feel better," nodding at them.

They gave a bark and scampered off to find a place to make another crater.

Stephanie was laughing as she handed him his wallet, "Ranger, you need to be more aware of your surroundings or at least, what you have in your pants."

"Babe, I didn't hear you complaining last night what was in my pants."

"And, I never will."


	8. Chapter 8

**__**

Tell Him

Week 36

"You're in Trouble"

Part 8

Ranger looked up the file he was reading in his office, a corner of the family room in the basement; Stephanie was folding the freshly washed clothes. Toby and Tia were chasing a ball, but stopped momentarily sniffing the clothes in the basket she sat by the steps to go upstairs. He could smell the 'Mountain Fresh' scent from the fabric softener.

"I'll carry them up, Babe," going back to his report. Movement out of the corner of his eye caught his attention. Toby dragged something out of the basket and a tug of war between the 'Terror Twos' ensued.

"Hey, those are mine!" Ranger jumped from his chair but they were too fast. Toby ran with his black silk boxers up the steps with his sister right behind barking at man running after them. Stephanie was giggling, the last in the parade. Out the new doggie door in the bottom of one of the French doors. The Dweiners were running around the holes in the backyard with Ranger trying to catch them as they scrambled around. "Give me those! It's not funny!" He yelled at his woman.

Stephanie was laughing at the scene. It reminded her of the Road Runner and Wile E Coyote, especially when at the very last second Toby veered around the wade pool and 'Mr. I'm Aware of My Surroundings' ended up wet when he fell in. Helping him up and grabbing a beach towel drying on the fence, Stephanie was choking and could barely see through her tears. "Ranger, that was so funny!"

Eyebrows shot up and his anger got the best of him when he saw Toby watching them from inside with the boxers still his mouth and both wagging their tails. "You two are nothing but terrors! See how you like it when you end up at the pound!" He wished he could have ripped out his tongue before he uttered the angry words, but those puppies could drive him insane.

Stephanie never said a word, the hurt in her eyes said it all and the sting of the wet towel he felt on his arm. She never turned around when Ranger called "Babe" before going into the house.

Drying off somewhat, Ranger ran after Stephanie, but he didn't need to go far. The leashes that hung on the wall were gone. Whipping off his wet clothes, Ranger hurried grabbing his workout shorts and a Rangeman shirt. His sneakers were untied as he grabbed the Porsche keys to find Stephanie and the puppies. Her cell phone was sitting there so he couldn't call her.

First stop, Tank's Cape Cod down at the next block.

Lula was laying on a chaise lounge on their screened-in back porch reading an "Archie" Comic Book with feather pink slippers on her feet. Tank was in another chaise watching a baseball game.

"Stephanie here?" Ranger asked stepping through the door.

"No," Tank said as he and Lula looked at each other. Guilt written all over Ranger.

Putting down her comic book, "All right, Batman, what did you do to My Girl?"

He started to shake his head, but knew Stephanie's friend would drag it out of him, "Yelled at the puppies. I threatened to take them to the pound."

Tanks started to chuckle, "You're in trouble."

"Oooo, that's bad, Batman! No sex for you tonight."

Sitting on a perch in the corner was a brightly colored Parrot that Tank bought Lula when they moved in chanting, "Bad Batman. Bad Batman. No sex. Bad Batman."

"Thanks. If you see her and the Terrors, tell her I'll see her at home."

He stopped at Bobby and Lester's house, then Mary Lou's. All gave him the same reaction for yelling at Stephanie's puppies. He knew he was in hot water and was trying to apologize if he could find Stephanie.

His final place to look was her parent's house. It would be a hike for her and the puppies, but he had to find his Babe and her damn babies.

Ellen Plum opened the door when he knocked, "Is Stephanie and the puppies here?"

"No, not since Sunday dinner," Ellen told the frantic man.

"What's wrong, Ranger?" Frank Plum got up from his recliner.

He let out a sigh, "I sort of yelled at Toby and Tia and mentioned a return trip to the pound. Now I can't find them."

Frank put a hand on his shoulder laughing, "You're in trouble. What did they do now?"

"Stole my boxers and I had to chase them around the yard and fell in the pool!"

"When will you learn, they're puppies. They get into mischief."

"But they don't do it to Stephanie," Ranger was dumbfounded why they picked on him.

"What can I say; they know how to aggravate you."

"They drive me insane just like your daughter. But," Ranger said sheepishly, "I wouldn't want to be without them. Would you tell Stephanie to call me if she comes here?"

He sat in front of the Plum's making calls. She wasn't seen at Rangeman. She hadn't stopped at any of his previous stops when he called them. Eddie!

It was getting dark and he was getting concerned. "Eddie, have you seen Stephanie and the puppies?"

"Yeah, I was patrolling down by the strip mall off State Street, I saw Stephanie and the dogs getting off a bus."

"What were they doing on a bus?"

"Old Dan the driver knows Stephanie so he must have given them a ride. I think they went into the pet store."

"Thanks, if you see Stephanie tell her I'm looking for her."

"You must be in trouble."

"I yelled at the Dwieners."

"Yup, you're in trouble. Will do if I see her."

Ranger parked in front of 'Pets n More'. He could see someone sweeping the floor as it was almost closing time.

"Excuse me, was a young woman in here with two spotted Weiner dogs?"

The young man smiled, "Craziest dogs I ever saw. She was talking with Susie, our dog expert."

"Thanks," Ranger walked over to an area with dogs and cats. "Babe, I didn't mean it," saying to himself.

Susie was a middle aged woman playing with black and white puppies in a sectioned off area. "Can I help you? Would you like to adopt a homeless puppy or kitten?"

"No!" Ranger's eyebrow shot up. Two was enough for him. "I understand my girlfriend was in here with two spotted Wiener dogs."

"Those are the cutest puppies! Her name was Stephanie with Toby and Tia. You must be her boyfriend. A characteristic of Dachshunds is they love to dig. They were bred to hunt badgers."

Shaking his head, "I don't care about the digging! I don't want Stephanie to get rid of them!"

"No! She was asking about dog obedience classes. She loves them and they are devoted to her." She chuckled, "I understand they can set you off. Have you ever owned a dog before?"

"No, never."

Susie handed Ranger some pamphlets on puppy care. "They are puppies you need to understand. With lots of energy. They are just like children sometimes wanting attention. You may want to come with Stephanie to our doggie classes. They are really good. A rescued dog I think appreciates all the attention more because they're happy to have a home."

'I'll think about it,' Ranger was turning to leave, "Thanks."

He rode around aimlessly. He couldn't think of anywhere else to look, so Ranger headed home. The house was dark and his heart sunk when he pulled into the garage. Coming through to the kitchen, his eyes went straight to the hook beside the broom closet. Two leashes were hanging there. "Thank God," Ranger gave a sigh of relief, but where were the puppies. No greeting from them. He had better go make up and grovel.

Walking into their bedroom, there was Stephanie sound asleep with the puppies curled up beside her.

"Babe," Ranger kissed her lips causing her to stir. Toby and Tia were hiding their faces under their paws.

"Ranger." Blue eyes flew open and an instant furrow in her forehead.

A warm Cuban finger was on her lips, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean what I said. They drive my crazy just like My Crazy Woman. You and they are a perfect match."

"They're puppies."

"What were you doing on a bus with them? Eddie told me he saw you. I've been looking for you."

"We went for a walk to get out of your way. I took them to the pet store since they were so upset. They needed a cheer me up present."

"Babe, that's across town!"

Stephanie gave her 'Burg' eye roll, "Old Dan, who's a friend of Daddy's, let us on the bus. They've never been on a bus ride," Stephanie explained like they did it all the time. "The riders liked them. And, I signed them up for doggie obedience classes so maybe they won't get on your last nerve so much. He gave us a ride back because he was going to the bus garage."

Ranger pulled two rawhide bones out of his back pocket, "Here. I'll come with you to classes so I can learn about being a dog owner. Here," Ranger handed Stephanie a bouquet of flowers. "I'm stuck with you two diggers."

Toby and Tia dropped their bones and gave Ranger rawhide breath kisses.

"We'll have so much fun with Daddy at your puppy classes," Stephanie was hugging the puppies and kissed Ranger. "We'll go as a puppy family."

Ranger gave an internal groan, but tried to look pleased, "Can't wait, Babe."


	9. Chapter 9

**__**

Tell Him

Week 36

Part 9

"Who's Training Who?"

__

"Ok, you Dweiners, I'm a Bad Ass," Ranger began his pep talk sitting in the Porsche. "Bad Asses are supposed to have big, intimidating dogs like Rottweilers, Dobermans, and German Shepherds, not short and stubby puppies. Look big and act big. I don't want to be laughed out of the Bad Ass Club."

Toby and Tia were intently watching the man talk to them, tails wagging.

"Tonight, Ranger is at home. Carlos Manoso is out with his puppies tonight. You can't tell them to think big! Don't you want to be seen with them?"

"Babe, I have an image."

"Let me run over to the costume store, I'll get you a mustache and blonde curly wig, no one will recognize you."

He gave her an eyebrow, "Let's go," grabbing Toby's leash and Stephanie had Tia's.

"After puppy class, Mommy and Daddy will take you for ice cream," Stephanie told her babies. Their attention focused on her and barked an affirmative. Ranger just shook his head.

Walking into the Obedience School at 'Pets n More', Susie was talking to three other pet owners with a little Yorkie wearing a pink bow in its hair, a Great Dane, and couple with Beagle mix. Toby and Tia instantly made new friends.

Susie greeted them, "Hello, Stephanie. I'm glad both of you could come with these precious little things," picking up both puppies.

"Susie, this is my boyfriend Carlos Manoso."

"I'm glad you came with Stephanie and your little ones."

The classroom door opened, in came Bobby and Lester with there Woodle, Samson.

"Ranger asked, "What are you two doing here?"

"Our puppy needs to have good manners," Lester told his boss.

Ranger looked at them with their curly brown Weiner dog, "Well, maybe it will help yours also."

"Hey, that's not nice," Bobby pretended to be indignant.

A couple walked in with a chocolate Lab puppy followed by an older woman with a black and white fuzzy mix.

"OK, I think all our participants are here. Let's go around and introduce yourselves and your canine companions," Susie called.

Sam, who owned the Great Dane, asked, "What are they?" pointing to Toby and Tia.

"Dwieners," Stephanie told him proudly, "part Dalmatian, part Wiener dog."

He looked at the puppies astounded, "That's impossible."

Ranger spoke up, "We weren't present for the mating."

"Let's move the chairs back so I can observe how they handle on a leash."

Ranger moved back with Bobby so Stephanie could walk with the Dwieners. You would have thought they were walking a runway. Tails wagging, ears flopping, heads up as their stubby little legs stayed in step with Stephanie one on each side.

'You're turn," Stephanie handed her man the leashes.

"Babe."

"You want to be a better doggie daddy don't you?"

He took about three steps, the puppies started to prance in front of him criss crossing almost causing him to stumble.

"Will you stop that!" he hissed at them. He had to stop three times going around the circle to untangle the leashes.

Bobby, Lester, and Stephanie with Susie were watching the scene.

"I think they like driving him crazy," Lester was laughing at the sight.

Ranger gave Stephanie back the puppies, "Here! I swear they act up on purpose with me!"

"That went rather well," Susie told the group, "Now let's try some simple commands. To reinforce the instruction and a good deed, you want to make sure you reward your friend. Let's try 'sit'. If needed, apply gentle pressure so your dog gets the idea to sit their little tushes down. Say "sit" and reward the behavior so it becomes a habit."

Stephanie had both sit and gave each a biscuit. She handed Ranger Toby's leash and a handful of treats. Tia was sitting there by Stephanie and watched her brother.

Toby was looking up. "Sit, Toby," Ranger told him. The puppy sat down then immediately rolled over to have his tummy rubbed. "No, sit." He was laying waving his paws.

Stephanie called, "Toby, sit." Her boy sat up.

"Sit," Ranger repeated. The puppy rolled over. 'Give me her. He's defective."

Stephanie and Ranger traded puppies. Toby sat for Stephanie.

Ranger said, "Sit," to Tia. She looked at him, then sat down. "See, she works," handing Tia a treat. She started to scratch her ear, eventually rolling over. "You're doing this on purpose!"

"They're puppies, Carlos"

"Babe! I'm highly trained. I own a company with offices in three states. My employees respect my leadership. I can make two dogs sit!"

Stephanie was giggling because Bobby and Lester were standing there opening and closing their fingers motioning like a mouth.

"I'll put both of you on monitor duty in Siberia," he turned towards his buddies.

"Now, sit!"

His employees sat down on the floor with Samson.

Ranger hissed, "Not you two, them!"

The twin puppies were wagging their tails at him.

"Sit for Daddy," Stephanie was trying to keep a straight face. They sat down.

"Is there a problem?" Susie asked watching the puppies.

"They won't sit for me. They roll over."

The instructor asked, "Can you sit?"

Toby and Tia got up and sat in front of her. "They're sitting."

"For you or her," indicating Stephanie, "but not me. Sit!"

The twins sat down and watching Ranger for a treat which he gave them. Susie walked over to the Labrador puppy and the Dwieners rolled over.

"See!"

Susie turned towards them and the puppies were sitting like they never moved, "They're still sitting."

He looked at Stephanie then at the four big brown eyes staring back at him, "I know what's going on in those puppy minds of yours. It's not going to work. I'll ship you far, far away from Mommy. I bet you miss your cushy life then," he growled at them.

Toby and Tia barked back leading all the dogs in a chorus of yelping and howling at him. Ranger was standing in a room full of dogs vetoing his plans.

Stephanie walked out of 'Pets n More' with Bobby and Lester after class and their puppies. Ranger was sulking by the Porsche.

"They did really good. Look," Stephanie was holding up two bone shaped magnets that read 'Best in Class'.

Ranger was standing there arms folded over this sculpted chest. "I guess that's supposed to make me feel better. I was asked to leave the Dog Obedience class and not come back!"

The puppies were jumping up on him for attention.

"Sit."

Toby and Tia sat down beside his feet.

"Oh, once class is over, then you listen to me. You two are not going to break me. I'm highly trained."

Stephanie opened the passenger door, "Let's go, Mr. Bad Ass, and get ice cream.'"

"Yes, Babe," sliding behind the wheel.

Lester nudged Bobby, "Stephanie has him trained right," watching the Porsche pull out with little noses smearing the windows.


	10. Chapter 10

**__**

Tell Him

Part 10

Week 37 Challenge

Tank was rolling with laughter at Ranger sitting there complaining about two little puppies.

"They made me look like I was mental in that dog obedience class. They were sitting there like they should, but the minute the instructor walked away, they rolled over. Then, when she came back, they were sitting like statues. After I yelled at them and all the dogs were barking, I was asked politely to leave because I was giving off a bad vibe."

"Man, I missed it. I wish someone would have taped it," Tank was wiping tears from his eyes. "That would have been fun to watch."

Ranger grumbled, "Here come the beasts now."

They could hear little running paws and the jingle of their collars as they came running into Ranger's office.

"You can take all the shots you want at them, complain until that Cuban face of yours is blue, but if you do anything to them, a jail cell wouldn't even be safe for you. Stephanie would kick you ass to Newark and let them drag your sorry carcass to your mother's door step. If that wasn't bad enough, Momma Manoso would kick it back. It would be Ranger Pong between Trenton and Newark."

"You don't have to tell me. Stephanie and these to mutts can to no wrong in my mother's eyes because I've settled down with her." He looked down at the two puppies sitting by his desk, little puppy noses tapping the bottom drawer.

He opened it and took out two doggie biscuits, "Bad Asses don't keep treats in their drawers," handing each one before running off again.

"But mine does," Stephanie was licking her lips from his doorway, "an all night one in silk boxers," then disappearing.

"Entertain them," Ranger said to his friend as the puppies were back standing by his desk for another biscuit as he was running out of his office after Stephanie.

"Rangeman, you got it bad!" Tank called after him reaching for his bottom drawer.


	11. Chapter 11

**__**

Tell Him

Part11

Week 38 Challenge

Stephanie knew Ranger was up to something and was prepared. Since the puppy obedience class, he hadn't said much about Toby and Tia. That was a few days ago and she knew he was stewing. She was in the house unloading the dishwasher. He went out the French doors even calling the puppies to go outside with him. The doggie door got locked rather slyly with the tap of a toe. Stephanie grabbed her weapon and ammunition hidden in the broom closet and went out the front door to sneak around to the back.

Ranger was in the back yard. The Dwieners looking up at him.

"Listen you two; Mommy can't save you this time. I am master of this house and what I say goes! Now sit your little wiener butts down! No digging! No nothing! Got It!" He growled at them. Toby and Tia yelped and ran under the glider peeking out from underneath.

Stephanie loaded and used the Porsche for cover. She shot off one ping pong ball hitting Ranger on the arm. "Ouch!" Turning to glare at her.

"They're harmless puppies!"

"They're the terror twins!"

Stephanie stood up and aimed her ping pong rifle at him and started to blast him with the little white balls. "Owww, that hurts!" He started running around the yard trying to avoid getting hit. "I'm too old for this. I hated the duck and cover type games in the Rangers; they usually involved someone getting hurt. Augh! You're hurting me!" Ranger whined as Stephanie got him in his fine Cuban Ass. "Ouch!"

Ping pong balls were bouncing off him in rapid fire.

Stephanie chuckled, "My aim has improved. Now, what about Toby and Tia? You scared them!"

He was hiding behind the Maple tree at the back of the yard. The puppies came out and started running after the ping pong balls littering the yard. Stephanie was reloading more balls, "Do you surrender?" Shooting more in his direction. "You don't mess with a 'Burg' girl and her puppies. Got it, Batman!"

He was watching her and the ammunition landing in the grass from behind the  
tree, "I give up," raising his hands.

Stephanie stepped inside the gate, her super shooter aimed at him. An evil smile on her face making its way to her blue eyes. "If you don't want to be NOT DEAD! Or possibly just unavoidably detained because of the injuries you could sustain, then repeat after me."

He nodded with his hands still raised.

"I, Carlos Manoso, know Toby and Tia Manoso are of the puppy breed,"  
Stephanie said.

Ranger just looked pained thinking about the words, "I, Carlos Manoso, know Toby and Tia Manoso are of the puppy breed."

"Puppies dig."

"Puppies dig."

"I promise," Stephanie crossed her heart, "to be a better doggie daddy."

He gave the look that makes men shake in their boots with his arms coming down to across at his chest. Stephanie tapped her weapon, clicked the trigger hitting him in the legs and knees with more ping pong balls.

"Ouch! I promise," crossing his heart, "to be a better doggie daddy."

The Dwieners barked to second and third that thought.

"And."

"And," he huffed.

"An even better baby daddy," Stephanie finished watching her man lowering her ping pong gun.

"An even better baby daddy. Are you done?"

Stephanie nodded waiting for a reaction.

He took a step then stopped. "What's a," the words registering in his brain. The scowl slowly fell away. His face softening with a smile and his chocolate eyes widening. He took off in a full sprint jumping over holes and ping pong balls to reach Stephanie in a handful of steps.

"You're sure?" Big Cuban hands cupping her face.

Stephanie nodded, "A pregnancy test the last three mornings can't lie and morning sickness hit me today before I went to the doctor's. I think we just had too much sex trying out the house when we moved in; we wore out the birth control pills because I didn't miss any. I checked."

"Babe, I don't care how it happened. Are you happy?"

Her hand went to her middle and Ranger put his hand on top looking down, "Once the shock wore off, I was happy. I've done pretty well with puppies. I haven't missed giving them food or water."

"Crazy woman," Ranger was hugging Stephanie.

Toby and Tia were jumping around them.

Ranger picked Stephanie up in his arms kissing her, "Go dig. Mommy and I need to celebrate."

Finally, listening to Ranger, the puppies each grabbed a ping pong ball and ran to a  
random whole and started covering it with dirt.

"Babe, I'm catching on to this puppy thing. Babies should be a breeze."


	12. Chapter 12

**__**

Tell Him

Chapter 12

"It's Going To Be A Cold Winter"

"Just tell me why?" Ranger was sitting on the bed looking down at Toby and Tia. "I know the two of you are in this together. I can see it in your eyes."

They were wagging their little black tails at their doggie daddy. Mommy was in the hallway giggling. Ranger turned his work boot over and falling on the carpet were doggie treats.

"Do you expect it to be a cold, cold winter where everything freezes over and are storing up munchies? I think I can afford to pay the heating bills so your little wiener butts aren't cold."

Stephanie stepping inside the door, "That's so sweet, Ranger, you don't want our puppies to be cold. They want to share with you."

"Babe."

She went into the closet and brought out a bag, "Look, what I got!" She picked up the puppies and sat them on the bed, then taking her place on her man's lap.

Opening up the bag, she pulled out something pink and something blue.

"Something you want to tell me, Babe?" Patting her still flat stomach where their baby was growing.

She gave him a "Burg" eye roll, "These are for Toby and Tia," holding up doggie sweaters and pulling out 8 little black puppy boots.

Ranger was in a state of disbelief, "And, can they dress themselves?'"

"No, you silly man. This will be practice for when we have to dress our baby," Stephanie pulled on the neck opening and slipped it over Tia's long nose flipping her ears out and gingerly putting her front paws in the legs opening. She tugged the sweater over her long spotted body. "Now, it's your turn," handing him the blue sweater.

His brown eyes boring into her, "I'm not dressing a dog!"

"But, it's practice for our Baby Manoso," Stephanie gave him full pouty lips, "Please for me," whining and giving him big blue eyes.

He had blue eyes looking at him and a sad pair of Toby eyes. He could have sworn the puppy shivered. "Fine. If you breathe of word of this to those three misfits, I may have to send myself somewhere that I don't even know about."

He did exactly as Stephanie dressing Toby in his blue sweater. Both wanted down and went happily running out of the bedroom. They heard their door swing open and close.

"It's 80 degrees outside!" Ranger carried Stephanie out into the living room. Watching out the French doors, the Dwieners were happily digging in their new sweaters.

There standing on the patio laughing were Tank, Bobby, and Lester.

"I better go pack," Ranger hung his head, "and get me a map."


	13. Chapter 13

****

Tell Him

"The Christmas Cards Are Going To Say What?"

Part 13

Ranger brought Stephanie home early from Rangeman. She was out before they pulled out of the garage. The first trimester tiredness had kicked in for her and he knew she would be more comfortable at their house than sleeping at her desk. And, Ranger could do his paperwork just as easy here as at the office. He had checked on his 'Babe' and she was sound asleep never waking up even when he carried her from the Porsche into the house and covering her with a soft fleece blanket with puppies on it. Toby and Tia were lying protectively beside her.

He sat back down at his desk and tried to read the report, but his attention was elsewhere. Concentration was not in the bag right now, he had hoped for this moment for a very long time and wanted it to be right tonight. Tomorrow, the Plums and Manosos were going to meet here for the first time and have dinner so Stephanie and he could break the news they were expecting. The thought of the baby brought a smile to his handsome features. It was a surprise, but a very good one. His parents would be over the top and he knew Frank Plum would be happy, particularly if he had another chance at a grandson. Ellen was another question. She accepted him as the man in Stephanie's life, but as the father of her baby that might be something else. Also, Stephanie wasn't housewife material, not that he cared. Grandma Mazur would be ecstatic because he knew how to use his 'package' and Stephanie was her favorite granddaughter.

Ranger felt he was ready to be a real father. He had Julie, but she was just in the background of his life. There were the puppies and Rex, their children of the animal kind as Stephanie called them. He had to chuckle at the pleasure all three gave Stephanie. She and Dwieners were made from the same mold, crazy. And he hoped their little boy or girl followed after them, not serious like him.

The clock on wall indicated he should start dinner. Stephanie had been attempting to cook more since they bought the house, but tonight Ranger was cooking for Stephanie. He could work off some of his nervous energy. Ella sent a few jars of homemade spaghetti sauce, so all the Cuban man had to do was make a salad, cook the noodles, and toast the bread. Dessert was a frosted chocolate cake with thick fudgey icing the Rangeman housekeeper baked for Stephanie.

"Mmmmm, something smells good," Stephanie kissed his jaw when she came into the kitchen, "and there's a very sexy Cuban man cooking in the kitchen."

He put the wooden spoon down and took Stephanie in his arms, "Feel better?"

Her curls nodding against his black painted on t-shirt, "Yeah, Dr. Gilbert said I would be tired, but I didn't think like this," finding his warm lips.

Toby and Tia came in through the doggie door after checking out all the holes in the backyard making sure they were just as the puppies left them.

The kitchen was cleaned and dishes loaded into the dishwasher which they did together. Stephanie patted her still flat stomach sitting on the sofa, "Thank you for dinner. We loved it."

"I'm glad, Babe," Ranger was cutting the cake to eat while they watched the evening news and Stephanie finished her glass of milk. He made sure she drank every drop since she was expecting their baby.

He was carrying the cake and glasses in on a tray. Toby had a red rose in his mouth and Tia a little black velvet bag in hers.

"Give those to Mommy," Ranger told the puppies.

They stood up with their paws on a cushion waiting for Stephanie to take the gifts.

"What's this?" Stephanie took the rose and bag from her babies.

Opening the gold cord on the little bag, a diamond ring fell in her hand.

"Babe," Ranger bent down, "will you marry me?"

Stephanie looked in his dark eyes, tears at the corners of her blue ones, "Do you want to marry me because of the baby?"

Without thinking, Ranger nodded, "Yes."

"Oh."

He saw the defeat creeping into her features. "No, Babe, not because of the baby." He was screwing this up and he wanted it to be so perfect. Stephanie's tears were falling freely now.

She pushed the ring towards him, "I don't want the baby to be the only reason to get married because you feel obligated."

"Shit," Ranger thought, "this isn't the same as with Julie. I want this." He had to think of something fast to change her mind because his ship was sinking.

Toby and Tia were wagging their tails at their puppy parents.

"Babe, what are their names?" nodding at the Dwieners.

Giving a questioning look like he just lost his mind, "Toby and Tia. You know that," wiping her tears.

"What?" motioning his hand for her to continue.

"Manoso. Toby and Tia Manoso."

"And yours is?"

"Stephanie Plum."

He picked up a puppy in each arm and waved silky paws at her, "Doesn't Mommy want all of us to have the same last name?" Three sets of big brown puppy dog eyes were staring at Stephanie. "I want this, Babe. All of us. I want to marry you because I love you. I'm sorry, I screwed this up."

"Really? I can't be an obligation, Ranger."

"No, Babe," shaking his head. His loose black hair falling in his face and she pushed it back. "I want everyone to know we are one together. For you to have my name because you want to become Stephanie Manoso would be more than I could ever hope for in my life." He waved Toby's paw, "You'd be my Doggie Mommy Manoso. Marry us, Mommy!" Ranger held up his hand with the sparkling heart shaped diamond.

"Oh, that's so sweet, Mommy Manoso!"

The dam broke and Ranger figured pregnancy hormones were taking over, Stephanie threw herself in his arms, "I'll marry you, Ranger, and our puppies." In between happy sobs, Stephanie was saying Ranger could make out, "I love you, Daddy Manoso", "Mommy and Daddy Manoso", and "Carlos, Stephanie, Rex, Toby, Tia, and Baby Manoso on the Christmas cards."

Shaking his head at his crazy woman, he slipped the ring on her left hand and sealed it with a kiss forgetting everything around them.

Stephanie was sitting in Ranger's lap as he fed her chocolate cake,

"Ranger, when we get married, I want Toby and Tia to be there with us."

A mental picture of the Toby in a puppy tuxedo and Tia in a little fluffy pink tutu with pink bows on her ears flashed in his head, "Babe, I wouldn't want it any other way."


	14. Chapter 14

**__**

Tell Him

Week 41

Part 14

"Babe, I'm Not Dressing The Puppies!"

Ranger came out of the bedroom looking for Stephanie. He found her outside on the patio pacing with Toby and Tia right beside her. Her Italian hand movements going every way. The puppies were barking with her as they paraded back and forth.

"I have to be crazy to invite my parents and Daddy's here for dinner. I can't cook. These pregnancy hormones are making me do crazy things."

Strong arms went around her stopping any further movement, "Babe, they're just our parents."

Looking at his face, hands waving in the air, "How can you be so calm? The world may end right there," pointing through the French doors, "shortly once we announce our engagement and the flitter flutter of baby bat wings."

A large hand cupped her face, "Are you happy, Babe?"

Her blue eyes watching his face then lowered to the four brown eyes beside them and back up. Stephanie nodded, "Yes."

"I know I am. We are the only ones who matter here," kissing her lips softly at first and deepening the kiss until they heard the doorbell. Stephanie stiffened in his arms.

"I think I'll go hide at Mary Lou's for a while," attempting to side step Ranger so she had a clear path to the gate.

"No escaping," he had her hand in his as they stepped inside, "The best way out is always through. Coming!" leading Stephanie through their house.

"I can go out the front door, but someone will see me."

"Babe," he kissed her forehead before opening the front door. The Dwieners were right there wagging their tails to greet the company.

Opening the door, Carmella and Juan Manoso were on the porch.

"Come in," Ranger opened the storm door, "Momma, Poppa."

Juan Manoso was an older version of Ranger. His short black hair peppered with grey at the temples and his short side burns. His mother had flawless Mocha Latte skin and silky long black hair she wore in a loose braid. She was about a head shorted then her husband and always had a warm motherly smile the few times Stephanie had been in her company.

They hugged their son and his girlfriend.

"Stephanie, you are more beautiful each time we see each other," Juan told her with his slight Spanish accent.

"I agree," Carmella nodded. "I still don't understand why you are with my son?"

Toby and Tia took off towards the living room when they heard Frank Plum's voice coming their way.

"Daddy!"

"Hi, Pumpkin. You look beautiful," seeing his daughter in a dark blue jersey dress with matching ballerina flats. He put down the shelf he finished for the entry to kiss his daughter.

"You finished it!"

He held it against the wall above the simple bench Stephanie had finished with the Earth friendly soy stain in the deep Mahogany.

Ranger really liked Stephanie's choice of stain, "It's perfect, Frank. These are my parents Juan and Carmella. This is Stephanie's father, Frank."

They shook hands all around and greeted each other following the happy couple into the living room.

Ellen Plum was waiting on the sofa with Grandma petting the puppies.

"That's some yard out there," Grandma pointed to the yard with holes and patches of brown dirt which Ranger had tried to fill in before the dinner party.

"Momma, Poppa, this is Stephanie's mother, Ellen, and her Grandma, Edna."

"Nice to meet 'The Package's' family," Grandma shook their hands not even noticing the quizzical looks she was getting.

"Hello, it's very nice to meet you," exchanging greetings with Stephanie's mother.

Coming out of the kitchen, Ranger was carrying a tray of wine glasses plus one with ginger ale for his expectant Babe.

They looked at each other and he cleared his throat, maybe this wasn't so easy.

"We asked you here tonight because we wanted to tell you something together," Stephanie began stumbling over her words slightly.

"Momma, Poppa, Frank, Ellen, and Grandma, Stephanie and I are getting married," Ranger blurted out simply seeing the stunned expressions. Stephanie waved her left hand in the air with her diamond engagement ring on it. He was going to drop their other announcement, "And, we're going to be parents."

Carmella held up her glass, "You have puppies, Ricardo. We know that. Congratulations."

"No," Stephanie shook her head; Ranger laid his hand on her stomach, "a baby."

The room was silent then Frank let out a loud, "Yes! I may get a real boy yet, not a hamster or a puppy."

Ranger's parents were hugging them along with Stephanie's family.

"Are you sure you really want to marry this lug of a son we have? Stephanie, he's not the easiest person," Juan Manoso was teasing her.

Stephanie looked up with love in her eyes, "There is no one else I would ever consider marrying. I love him. Besides, he puts up with the Dwieners."

"Babe."

Ellen hugged her daughter, "I'm happy for you, Sweetheart. We'll need to reserve the hall."

"No hall, Mom. Ranger and I talked. The wedding is going to be small. We're going to be married in the Victorian Room at the Conservancy with all the flowers and a reception in their hall. It will only be about 50 people. Family, close friends, and the puppies."

Ranger nodded. The puppies were part of the wedding and there was no getting out of it.

Her mother looked at the set expressions on their faces and knew neither would budge, "Can I at least work on the food menu with Carmella?"

"That is what I was hoping. A little Italian and a little Cuban."

The two mothers and Grandma studied each other, "We can do that," both agreed with Grandma.

"To our children's wedding and baby," Ranger's father said raising his glass.

Ella's dinner of teriyaki salmon, roasted red potatoes, and green beans almandine was a hit in between wedding and baby talk. Just as dinner was finishing, Toby and his sister scampered from the bedroom dragging their boy and girl sweaters.

Stephanie was giggling as they had their front paws up on Ranger and coats still in their mouths, "We practiced dressing them so we knew how to dress our baby."

'It's 75 degrees outside. You don't need these," Ranger tried to tug their treasures out of their mouths, but they wouldn't let go.

"Do you want Daddy to dress you?"

The table was in tears laughing at the sight.

Ranger huffed, "For heaven's sake. I'll put it on you."

The puppies released them and he gently tugged the pink one over Tia's head, fixing her ears, and putting her small paws through the leg holes while Toby waited his turn. They barked a "Thank you," before running out the doggie door to dig a new hole under their favorite Maple tree.

Carmella was sobbing real tears as she kissed Ranger, "My baby boy is going such a good daddy. Those puppies are so lucky to have you for theirs. I'm going home to knit booties for them and your baby!"

"Babe?"

"Your mother is right. You're the best doggie daddy our twin Dwieners could have," as pregnancy hormones set in making Stephanie weepy leaning over to give him a salty kiss.

Standing on the patio looking in where the pink and blue sweatered puppies wagging their tails.

"This is going to be a long pregnancy," Ranger muttered.

Frank spoke up, "Did I ever mention twins run in my family?"


	15. Chapter 15

Tell Him

Week 42 Challenge

"Little Green Dwieners"

Part 15

Ranger was holding an afternoon meeting with Tank, Bobby, and Lester. They were going over the new accounts and the requirements for the security systems.

They heard Ella in the hallway, "Oh my, how adorable!"

Stephanie was giggling, "They picked them out."

The puppies gave a happy yelp and were heading for the conference room, "Go show Daddy your costumes."

They heard the jingle of their collars as they were running Ranger's way.

The water he had in his mouth went everywhere as he started to choke.

Little Dwiener tails wagging to go with the happy puppies. They had on matching shiny green costumes with hoods framing their long faces with tucked in ears. A green springy antenna in the middle of each head and little pink booties.

"Babe," Ranger finding his voice finally, "what are they little green men in pink tights?" He had tried but couldn't hold in the laughter anymore, his sides hurt. There were tears from trying to hold it in. He had never seen anything so silly. It was the truth even with all the cars and catastrophes that involved Stephanie.

With every movement, the antenna bobbed side to side.

The Merrymen had their heads on the conference table laughing at the green dogs.

Hands on her hips, "They're Alien Dwieners. They picked those out for Halloween. 'Pets n' More' is having a puppy party for all the obedience school participants and their owners. We can go as a family. Will Rangeman donate snacks for doggie bags and the adults?"

"Sure, Babe, but I was thrown out" watching his woman, and then noticed the big bag in her hand. 'What's in there?"

She was smiling sweetly at him. Alien Toby and Tia's were running in circles around him excitedly. "We got you a costume for the party."

He put his hands over his eyes and was praying to himself, "Please, don't let it be green. I can't handle a pregnant crying fiancée because I won't dress as a green 'Tick'. "

A dark chocolate eye peeked through his fingers. It was a Jedi robe and light saber. He let out a sigh of relief.

"You don't like it, Ranger, do you? I can get you a green Alien costume if you want."

"No!" jumping to take the costume out of her hands. "This one is just right."

Tank, Bobby, and Lester got up tears running down their faces.

"I wanted a green Alien costume for you. Those are too much," Tank pointing to the puppies. "The mental image of Ranger in one of those, I'll never get that out of my mind," shaking with laughter going out the conference room door.

"Come on, Bobby," Lester said pushing in his chair, "let's go get Samson a costume before all the good ones are gone."

His partner could barely stand from laughing, "We'll see you later. Those are priceless."

Ranger was done for the day. "Let's go home, Babe. They really picked those out?"

"Of course. They didn't like the pumpkin ones I picked out. This is practice for next year when we have Baby Manoso."

It was too much watching the puppies from behind prance to the elevator in the green suits with the antenna swaying. He didn't want to tell Stephanie her babies looked like string beans.

Standing in the garage, Tank, Bobby, and Lester had to hold each other up as the Porsche pulled out of the garage. Toby and Tia were in the backseat, noses against the windows, and those crazy antennas swishing around as the car moved.

"I bet Ranger would have fainted if Stephanie bought him a matching green Alien suit," Lester choked out.

"A big green Bad-Ass Alien man in pink tights", Tank was laughing. "That's cause to be ejected from the Bad-Ass club. He's so whipped."


	16. Chapter 16

I know this doesn't count, but it had to be.

Tell Him

Part 16

"I'm a Bad Ass!"

Ranger was at the mall pushing a double stroller. Sitting in it were Toby and Tia still wearing their little green Alien outfits, antennas bopping along as the stroller wheeled on. They stopped in front of Victoria's Secret seeing a sexy Alien nightie with thong for Stephanie.

"We should get that for Mommy," Ranger told the puppies and proceeded to push through the store entrance. He came back out a few moments later with his purchase and Alien puppies in their stroller.

A bright light blinded him as he reached for his gun.

"Ranger Manoso," a low, raspy voice said sounding a lot like Clint Eastwood.

"Who wants to know?" The man in black growled. "You're blinding me," raising a hand to block some of the bright light.

The puppies were barking sending their antennas every which way.

Another voice said, "Sorry," dimming the light.

Once his eyes adjusted back to normal, a high wooden bench was in front of him with five bodies glaring at him. Dirty Harry, Kojak, The Terminator, Dog the Bounty Hunter, and Pittsburgh Steeler Mean Joe Green, all in black except Mean Joe was in his black and gold football uniform with shoulder pads.

"You haven't made our day, Ranger," Dirty Harry told him. "We are a tribunal from the Bad Ass Club."

Sucking on a lollipop, Kojak spoke up, "You have been doing some very un-Bad Ass things and associating with un-Bad Ass beings," pointing his lollipop at the green costumed Alien Dwieners."

"Toby and Tia are our puppies," Ranger said back.

Mean Joe and Dog rolled out some type of a meter.

"This is the Bad Ass Dog-O-Meter," The Terminator said in a very Arnold-like voice. "Watch."

A video came on a screen of a snarling, growling Rottweiler. The Dog-O-Meter read 110. Next a tape of the puppies running and digging in the yard. The meter wouldn't register hardly because "ERROR" and "-50" were flashing. "ERROR" flashed one more time and the meter exploded.

"That's bad. Very bad," the humanoid pointed at the hiding puppies in the stroller. "They don't even register as dogs."

Ranger petted the Dwieners, "Stephanie loves them."

"Listen man," Dog stood up, "We'll give you another chance to retain your membership in the Bad Ass Club. Up until now, you've been on of the best Bad Asses we've known. Lose the little green Alien puppies and you can stay in the club."

Ranger looked down at Toby and Tia in their green Martian suits. Four sad brown eyes looking back at him. He stared at each member of the committee, dark chocolate eyes intense, and intimidation in his stance. "No. Stephanie loves her puppies. They're family."

"That really doesn't make our day now," Dirty Harry said. "Look at them. Those things are dressed as Aliens."

Mean Joe was shaking his head, "We hate to lose you."

"Wait," Ranger glared, "you made a commercial with a little boy. He gave you a 'Coke' and you gave him your shirt. That wasn't very Bad Ass".

"Did you ever see that little boy again?" The retired football player asked.

"No."

"After filming was done, I tackled and squashed him."

"Let's get this over with. Any last words?" Dirty Harry asked.

Ranger just stared the tough guys down. Toby and Tia were barking their support.

The movie cop banged a gavel. Ranger's black painted on t-shirt magically changed from black to green and 'I'm A Wienie' was printed on it. His Bad-Ass Club card floated out of his wallet disintegrating before his eyes.

"Ranger Manoso," the raspy voice began, "you are hereby stripped of your membership in the Bad Ass Club due to your association with those things you call puppies. If at some future date you come to your senses and get a real Bad Ass dog, then you'll be reinstated. Until then you are no longer a Bad-Ass."

An Austrian voice called out, "Hasta La Vista, Baby."

Dirty Harry, Kojak, Dog, Mean Joe, and The Terminator chanted as they pointed to Ranger, "You're not a Bad Ass! You're not a Bad Ass!" Smoke began rising up and the five representatives began to fade.

"I'm a Bad Ass," Ranger told them. "I'm a Bad Ass."

He was sitting up in bed breathing hard.

Stephanie was rubbing his back, "Ranger, what's wrong?"

"I got kicked out of the Bad Ass Club by Dirty Harry, Kojak, Mean Joe Green, Arnold as The Terminator, and Dog the Bounty Hunter because of them," nodding to the soundly sleeping puppies in their wicker basket on the floor. They were still in the green costumes because the twins wouldn't let Stephanie or Ranger take them off. "I wouldn't let you give them up."

Tears sliding down Stephanie's cheek, "That's the sweetest thing." Her hand was on his forehead, "Are you OK? Maybe it's too much being a doggie daddy and going to be a baby daddy."

"I can handle that, but", shaking his head at the two little green Dwiener faces with bobbing antennas now resting on the edge of the bed, "this is too much."

Stephanie picked them up and they immediately started giving Ranger doggie kisses and smacking him with their radar. "Let's get some sleep," Stephanie yawned, "I'll try to get them out of their Halloween costumes in the morning."

"Thanks, Babe," wrapping Stephanie in his arms.

She kissed his cheek, "Good night, My Bad Ass."

Peeking in the bedroom window were Dirty Harry, Kojak, Mean Joe Green, Dog the Bounty Hunter, and The Terminator seeing Ranger asleep with Stephanie in his arms. Little green Alien Toby and Tia peaceful lying beside them.

"If we lose him, the Bad Ass Club will never be the same," Dirty Harry's low raspy voice told the others.


	17. Chapter 17

_**Tell Him**_

_**Part 17**_

_**Week 43 Challenge**_

"_**The Wheels on the Bus"**_

"Babe!" Ranger was looking up at Stephanie from behind his Rangeman desk disbelieving what she just asked. The puppies were next to him crunching a biscuit from his 'treat' drawer.

"I thought it was a cute idea for a wedding." She was disappointed in her fiancée's reaction to a Halloween wedding. "When we send out the invitations, we request our guests come in costume."

"You want me to be Frankenstein!" Ranger gave an exasperated shake of his head.

"Yes," her blue eyes watching, "and I would be the Bride of Frankenstein."

"Babe."

Leaning across the desk, Stephanie kissed his lips, "OK, we'll come up with something else." She was saddened Ranger hated the idea of the Halloween wedding. "Come on, Babies."

The puppies followed her out of Ranger's office and he could have sworn they gave him four evil eyes.

"Frankenstein and Bride of Frankenstein," he muttered to himself and picked his report back up. "Crazy woman."

The numbers in the proposal were all jumbled together because he was thinking about Stephanie. Halloween was her favorite holiday and she was just trying to make their wedding memorable. He got up from his desk to talk with her. Walking around the corner, Stephanie's desk was empty.

Lester said around the corner of his cubicle, "I think Steph took the puppies for a walk about 15 minutes ago."

He turned and ran to the control room, "Where's my pregnant woman?"

Cal looked at a monitor. "Stephanie and puppies are down Haywood crossing over to Harper heading west."

The elevator was closing as he was pushing the button for the garage, he'd catch her in the Porsche. Both Toby and Tia had tracking devices in their collars along with her phone and keys with panic button. He was flying out of the garage and turning down Haywood. Making a left on Harper, he saw Stephanie talking to someone on a bus. She and the puppies got on and the door closed. Gunning the motor to pass the bus, he pulled into the first parking lot he saw two blocks down, locked with sports car, and made a mad dash to the bus stop just as the bus was pulling up.

"Morning," a thin man with fuzzy red hair and bald head greeted him. He looked like Larry from the Three Stooges. He walked up the steps and slid a dollar in the fare machine. "Going downtown?" Dan as it read on the red and grey Transit Authority shirt asked.

"I'm not sure," saying as he walked down the aisle to where Stephanie was sitting with the puppies looking out the window seat. "Babe?"

Stephanie smiled at him, "Ranger, what are you doing on the bus?"

"Following you. My pregnant woman is out walking with them and I see her get on a bus."

"Fasten your seat-belts, it's going to be a bumpy night or ride," Dan called out.

"We're approaching the rough pavement and I may have to swerve to miss some raised manhole covers."

Stephanie picked up the puppies and moved Tia to her lap and handed Toby to Ranger so he could sit down. The bus started to shake as it drove over the section of street which asphalt was removed for a new surface.

"Toby and Tia saw the bus and wanted to go for a ride," Stephanie bounced next to her Cuban man. Ranger and his Dwiener were bouncing with her in their seat.

The bus jerked to the left and Stephanie's body and puppy shifted into Ranger. Both puppies let out excited barks.

Dan yelled to the passengers, "Sorry, manhole cover!"

"Babe, this is crazy!"

Finally the bus returned to normal as it reached smooth road surface again.

"Where are you going with these two?" Ranger noticed the people around them watching. He with the Bad Ass reputation was riding a rattling bus with his woman and puppies. Answering his ringing cell phone, "Yo."

Tank was calling, "Ranger, where are you and Stephanie. You're moving but your car's not."

"On a bus with Stephanie and the puppies. Babe, where are we getting off?"

"Here," Stephanie reached a strip along the wall and rang for a stop.

"Pick up the Porsche and bring it to 'Pets n More. I'm not riding this back," getting out of his seat with Stephanie following him to the front.

Stephanie kissed Dan before getting off, "Thanks, Dan."

They waited for the traffic light to change, "Come on, Ranger. The Dwieners want to check out if any new clothes came in at the pet store and get a treat."

To reach 'Pets n' More', Stephanie, Ranger, Toby, and Tia, they had to pass a costume store. In the window were mannequins dressed like the Mary Shelley monster and his bride. She was wearing a very sexy white lacy gown with the high black beehive hair with white streak. He actually liked it and could imagine by the time the holiday arrived, Stephanie's breasts would be full because of the pregnancy and busting out of the plunging neckline.

"Babe, do you really want a Halloween wedding?"

She looked up in his chocolate eyes which were dark with desire. She had him now after seeing that very sexy low cut wedding dress. With those broad shoulders, Frankenstein would be so sexy instead of scary. "You're thinking about it?"

"If it's what you want."

She jumped in his arms and the puppies at his legs, "It will be so much fun!"

Coming out of the pet store with new doggie toys, a blue Buick pulled in followed by the Porsche and a black Rangeman SUV.

"Daddy! What are you doing here?" Stephanie asked as her father was getting out of his car and a chuckling Tank out of Ranger's.

"Hi, Pumpkin," kissing her. "Your mother got a call that you, Ranger, and the puppies were on a bus. She sent me to check if he got poor suddenly and you need food and a place to live because you're riding a bus with Old Dan."

"Hardly, Frank," Ranger was just shaking his head at the 'Burg' grapevine in action.

Stephanie explained, "Toby, Tia, and I were going for a walk. They got excited when they saw the bus so we took a ride, then Ranger got on at another stop. We came here for presents," holding up a bag with dogs and cats on it.

"A poor Ranger on a bus," Tank was laughing looking like he could wet his pants at the thought of The Great Manoso on public transportation.

Stephanie hooked her arm in her father's and gave him her big blue eyes, "Daddy."

"Yes, Stephanie."

"If Ranger and I had a Halloween wedding with everyone dressing up, would you still walk me down the aisle?"

He was stunned, but this was his crazy baby girl. A smile came over his face, "Can I be a vampire?"

Ranger chuckled at the delight registering in Stephanie's face. They were having a costumed Halloween wedding, "Anything you want, Frank."

Tank added in, "I've always wanted to be a Power Ranger. I'll bet Lula would be the pink one."

He could barely drive, "Babe, a Pink Lula Power Ranger! Will the spandex survive? Let's go home. This day has just been crazy."

"It's not even lunch."

"Why are Toby and Tia barking every time we pass a bus?"

Since leaving 'Pets n' More', the puppies barked at every bus they saw whether it was a school bus, little community bus, or a big transit authority one.

"They like to ride the bus, Ranger. Since gas is so expensive, maybe we could take the bus to Rangeman and do our part to save the Earth."

He just sat there in the garage at the house not moving, "Babe, we live 10 minutes away from work. We can afford gas, but I can't chase skips by riding the bus."

"Toby and Tia like the bus."

"Bad Asses don't ride the bus!" He looked at the blue and brown eyes looking back. The Dweiners still yipping in the Porsche. The Cuban eyebrow up, "Fine. The next day that I'm not chasing skips, we'll take the bus."

"Did you hear that, babies? Daddy's going to ride the bus with us."

Both Toby and Tia had crawled in the front on Ranger's lap happily giving doggie kisses. Opening the passenger door for Stephanie, "Come on, Babe, let's go check the bus schedules on-line so we get to work on time."


	18. Chapter 18

_**Tell Him**_

_**Week 44 Challenge**_

_**Part 18**_

"_**Once a Bad-Ass, Always a Bad-Ass"**_

Ranger was waiting for Stephanie and the puppies to dress for the 'Pets n' More' Halloween party. If this wasn't crazy enough, Stephanie, his mother, Grandma, and hers were going trying to the finalize arrangements for next week's wedding.

"Ranger," Stephanie called from the hallway, "close your eyes."

"Why, Babe?"

"Because. Are they closed?"

"Yes, Babe." He was sitting on the arm of the chair facing the doorway from  
the hallway, eyes wide open watching.

A green gloved hand reached around and dimmed the lights.

"Hey!"

"If your eyes were really closed, then you wouldn't known I dimmed the lights so it was _**dark**_," Stephanie told him. "Now close them!"

Frustrated because he was found out, "Fine!" Closing his eyes to wait for his woman and puppies.

"Ta Dah!"

Opening in eyes, Ranger had to catch his balance to keep him from falling on the floor. Stephanie had on a short green and silver Alien outfit to go with the Dwieners. The edge of her flared skirt, along her stand-up collar, and her cuffs were lit-up to go with the antennas in her curls. The collars and antennas of Toby and Tia's costumes were _**flashing**_. The tips of her pink boots were glowing. They looked so crazy; the three of them were cute. Tails wagging 40 miles a minute.

"Babe, only you," chuckling at the scene in front of him.

Stephanie and the puppies turned all the way around so he got a full view. His Jedi pants got tighter when he glimpsed the silver hot pants under her costume.

"Let's go."

Driving was a feat. He couldn't achieve a zone between Stephanie's shiny silver tighted legs coming out from the short skirt on the leather seat to the two strobing Alien puppies in the back of the Porsche looking out the windows. He just shook his head and was glad it wasn't a long drive.

Walking through the store, he heard snickers, giggles, and "How cute!" as his three Aliens steered to the back training room. There were _**eerie**_ trees with webs and spiders hanging flanking the entrance covered in black paper with a sign reading: '_**SPOOKY**_ POOCH PET HOTEL. ENTER AT YOUR RISK FOR A HOWLING GOOD TIME'.

"Babe," Jedi Ranger was shaking his head at the sign.

Toby and Tia let out 'Arfs' waiting for the door to be opened to enter their party.

"It's so cute, Ranger. Our puppies' first Halloween party!"

Opening the door, Ranger groaned, "I hope it's the last and only one."

If it wasn't bad enough, Bobby was dressed as a surgeon, Lester a cowboy, and Samson was dressed in a foam hot dog bun with their girlfriends, who were their neighbors, dressed as cats with their dachshund dressed as a Southern Bell with flowered hat, but Tank and Lula were there dressed as animal trainers. They didn't have a dog.

"What are you doing here?" Ranger asked his best friend.

Tank was laughing at the Alien Dwieners, "We had to see them. Those are too much. Bobby and Lester invited us and Rangeman did provide treats."

"Welcome, puppies, parents, and friends," Susie dressed as a Pirate announced to the room, "to our Doggie Halloween Party. We want to thank Tasty Pastry for the cookies, Al's Beer Store for the soft drinks and water, Sylvia's House of Beauty, and Rangeman for providing our cheese trays and doggie treats. Tonight, we'll have a costume parade through the store. There's a _**haunted**_ _**maze**_ and _**ghostly**_ tunnel for our four legged friends to run through, and they can bob of biscuits. Let's get the music started and have fun! Each guest treat bag will have ballots to vote for the best puppy costume and the costume which best represents your canine companion."

Ranger leaned over to Tank, "Those get better," pointing to the puppies who Stephanie was fiddling with their costumes as pets and owners were lining up for the pet parade. The lights were dimmed in the room so Stephanie and the puppies glowing costumes stood out.

Tank and Bobby bust out laughing.

"Looky there, a lit up skinny white girl Alien with matching blinking puppies," Lula said watching as the parade made its way out into the store. "Ain't that something!"

"Try driving with those swishing, flashing antennas in the back of the car," Ranger commented shaking his head. Hopefully, the Bad-Ass Tribunal wasn't watching or he'd be kicked out of the club going into the next century.

Toby and Tia bobbed for their biscuit bags, tore through the maze, and scampered through the tunnel. The evening was complete when the Dwiener twins won for best costumes receiving a trophy and picked stuffed bunny toys out of the prize box. To end the Halloween party from doggie Hell, Ranger was driving her and the puppies over to her parents' house to show off their outfits and trophy.

The look on Frank, Ellen, and Grandma's face was priceless when they saw the light-up puppies and daughter. Stunned couldn't describe it.

"Look!" Stephanie held up the 'Best Costume' trophy, "They won! Aren't you happy, Daddy?"

"Totally, Pumpkin," hugging Stephanie then pulling Ranger in the door. "I bet you need a beer."

"Two!"

Down the street hiding behind a mini-van were Dirty Harry, The Terminator, Mean Joe Green, Kojak, and Dog.

"We can't kick that poor man out of the club! He's getting married and going to be a father. Those puppies are a real negative on his slate," Dirty Harry told the group.

Kojak pulled his lollipop out, "But, that Grandma! He's marrying into that family willingly. That more than makes up those Dwiener things they call them."

"Yah, she's scar….ry," Terminator agreed.

"Who's next on the list?" Dog asked.

Dirty Harry pulled a roll out of his pocket. "Let's see," reading the scroll. "A new pending membership for a cop. He's here in Trenton. Name is Joe Morelli. He just applied to the Bad-Ass club."

"Hey," Mean Joe thought for a moment, "isn't he the one whose mother buys him bunny boxers. The Ranger guy goes commando."

Terminator nodded, "Yah, bunnies aren't Bad-Ass."

"We observed him at the S&M club with that skank Joyce. He was dressed in a diaper, bib, and bonnet," Dog rattled off. "He was wailing like a baby by the time the paddle connected the fifth time with his ass cheeks."

"OK, let's go give him the bad news," Dirty Harry tucked the list back in his pocket. "Someone's got to be kicked out of the Bad-Ass club."

All five of them cracked their knuckles.

"Let's go veto Joe's membership application. Ranger needs us between those puppies and that crazy Grandma," Kojak instructed.

"She sounded nothing like me when she caught that funeral home on fire," Dirty Harry hissed with his gravelly voice. "Let's go make our day and go squash that wimp Joe's hopes."


	19. Chapter 19

_**Tell Him**_

_**Chapter 19**_

'_**A Halloween Wedding Our Way'**_

Frankenstein was standing amongst the flickering pumpkins in the Victorian glass room of the Trenton Botanical Conservancy. Wearing an oversized black coat with padded shoulders and under was white shirt. Ranger even had plastic bolts glued to his neck.

Spider webs and white lights were hanging from the palm trees. The dancing fountain was glowing orange. The minister dressed as a Pirate was standing next to him along with Blue Power Ranger Tank. Ranger glanced around at their guests. His parents were red devils. The family of one of his brother's was dressed as the Adams Family. Lula was the Pink Power Ranger. Ellen Plum was a flower child. Grandma Mazur was dressed a drooping Playboy bunny.

The harpist dressed in black at the back on the room began playing. Mary Lou chose Snow White and began walking to them. Once she was in place, the music changed to 'Here Comes the Bride'.

Ranger's caught his breath as the sight of Stephanie, his beautiful bride of Frankenstein. On the arm of her Vampire father, she was wearing a white satin gown with lacy sleeves that hung down by her hands and a deep V neckline showing off her baby assets. Her bouquet was black and white roses. Wild curls were twisted up on her head with painted on white streaks. He shook with head, on each side of her walking were Alien Tia and Toby with those stupid bobbing antennas coming toward Ranger.

Once Stephanie was standing next to her monster man, Frank laid her hand in Ranger's large one.

"Dearly beloved family, friends, and ghouls," The Pirate minister began. "We are here tonight to join this Frankenstein and his bride in holy matrimony."

Chuckles were heard echoing through the glass room.

"In the ancient Celtic traditions, Halloween is a time between times. All laws of time and space are suspended for the evening. As the official end of summer and the turning closer towards winter, it marks an opening between our world and the spirit world. The veil between the two worlds is at its thinnest on Halloween night. Legend has it that spirits intermingle with the living. The tradition of wearing costumes is to confuse those spirits who may want to do us harm. Yet for us, this night is more about merriment, trickery and yummy goodies!

We have all had moments of peak experiences where time and space are suspended and these unusual moments' takes on a timeless quality. Halloween will forever be linked to such a moment for Stephanie and Carlos. And tonight, they will deepen their bond making a sacred union whereby their hearts, their bodies, and their souls shall be united as one in marriage for the rest of their days. And it is our honor and privilege to stand witness. For this blessed act, is magnificent and so tender to behold.

The beauty, awe and timelessness of this moment transcends even the most spectacular displays of fall foliage. For here, we have two souls standing before us to join their lives together.

Stephanie and Carlos, you have that spirit in your relationship and in your lives. Spectacular, magical, calm, bold, fiery and invigorating are all aspects of your lives as individuals and together. These aspects will prepare you for the seasons of marriage to come. In the midst of winter, please remember the silence and calmness of the season and take time to rest. In the spring, please remember the magic of rebirth and regeneration and begin something anew. In the summer, please remember the fiery and awesome moments and spice up your lives together. And in the fall, please remember the spectacular and invigorating aspects of whom you are together and who you wish to become.

You have a perfect blend of all that is needed in a relationship. You support each other, listen to each other and respect each other. You both understand that the other is a gift, a precious gift. Yet, this gift is not yours alone but one that is shared with the entire world. In your love for each other, may you find yourselves becoming more than what either of you could be alone. In your support, the other becomes stronger, more complete. In your listening, the other is so fully heard that there is peacefulness. And in your respect, the other is so fully appreciated that they shine so brightly. Your love for each other becomes a gift unto this world and all who come into contact with you. Love is eternal.

Ranger turned to his Babe, "Stephanie, as this ring encircles your finger from this day forward, year in and year out, so will my love forever encircle you. Wear this ring as a symbol of this love."

"Carlos, as this ring encircles your finger from this day forward, year in and year out, so will my love forever encircle you. Wear this ring as a symbol of this love."

We end this ceremony with a Celtic tradition of jumping the broom. Traditionally in the Celtic household, the broom was placed on the threshold of the house and the couple who wished to be joined, jumped over the broom into their new life together.

This event today marks the beginning of making a home together. It symbolizes sweeping away the old and welcoming the new. We invite Ellen and Carmella to step forward. Please clear away any negativity with a sweep of the broom and create a threshold for the couple to cross over into their new life together.

Ellen Plum takes the broom, "I sweep away all negativity and traces of your past life apart. May you begin your new life together with a clean sweep," and sweeps.

"As you jump, you leave your old lives behind and begin a new life together. May all your journeys in your new life together be smooth and easy," Ranger's mother said as she took a turn sweeping then laid the broom down.

Together both mothers turned to their children, "In honor of this ritual we issue a hope and a prayer of sweeping away barriers between people of different religions or cultures. May these vows and this marriage be blessed."

Holding hands, Frankenstein and his bride step over the broom followed by two jumping Dwieners

"May I present to you Mr. and Mrs. Frankenstein, Carlos and Stephanie Manoso. You may kiss your bride."

"Babe" Ranger told Stephanie before he kissed his wife before the first time.

The community room was decorated for Halloween with pumpkins, skeletons, candles, bats, spiders, and webs with a buffet of Cuban and Italian foods. Punch bowls had iced shaped body parts floating in them. A tower of eyeball cupcakes with the bigger top one having figurines of Frankenstein and his bride.

"Well, husband, is our wedding everything you thought it would be?" Stephanie asked feeding Ranger a meatball.

"Ooh baby, I love your way," looking around the room as their costumed family and friends, and of, course lit-up Alien puppies prancing about with everyone.

"It's our way."

Ranger stood up and held out his hand with the platinum band to match Stephanie's, "Shall, we dance, Mrs. Manoso?"

"Love to, Mr. Manoso."

The harpist and the small orchestra began playing 'Have I Told You Lately' and ending with 'My Way'.

They told their parent's 'good-bye' and Ranger swept Stephanie up in his arms making a dash out of the Conservancy with puppies running after. Everyone went was outside with black balloons in hand to release to send off the newly married Ranger and Stephanie.

"Ranger! It looks like the Munster mobile!"

At the end of the sidewalk, a black hot rod right appearing like it was right from 1313 Mockingbird Lane waiting for them to drive off.

"What, you were expecting the Porsche!"

Toby and Tia jumped up in the back and Ranger sat his bride on the front seat. He ran around to the driver's side.

"I love you," Stephanie leaned in to meet his kiss.

"Love you, Babe." Ranger shook his head at the flashing Alien twins in the back.

As he pulled out, flames shot out the back pipes. 'Just Ghouled' was on a back sign with tin cans and bones rattling as the couple drove off.

"Wow, now that said Bad Ass!" a skeleton said from behind a bush with four other skeletons nodding in agreement.

"Yah," a large skeleton with an Austrian like accent said, "I'm glad we kept him in the club, but the Granny in the bunny suit doesn't do anything for me, but it was still a great party!"

"Bad Asses sure know how to have fun."

_**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**_

_**I found the Halloween ceremony on: www revmelissa spiritedceremonies com/halloween**_


	20. Chapter 20

_**Tell Him**_

_**Chapter 20**_

"_**A Picture Can Say 1000 Words"**_

"Carlos, I really like your suggestions regarding the security upgrade," Roland Polie, owner of 'The Art of Trenton Gallery' said. "My wife, Pinkie, co-owns the gallery. I want to show her your ideas, but I think she'll approve them."

"I hope Rangeman can help you, Roland."

"Call me Rolie."

'Rolie Polie' Ranger just shook his head at that. They were 'yips' in the hallway.  
He heard Tank laughing. What did Stephanie do now?

"Bomber, I think those beat the Alien suits and the Pilgrims for Thanksgiving. There's someone with Ranger."

"Thanks, Tank. They are cute aren't they? Come on, Babies, Daddy's busy."

Rolie's thin form turned in his chair watching Ranger's door.

Ranger explained, "My wife is back with our puppies."

"My wife and I have 6 dogs. Three cockers, a Great Dane, and two Shih Tzus.  
What kind are they?"

"A mix. Babe, can you and the Dwieners come here," Ranger called.

He was bracing himself hearing the jingling of bells. In comes Toby and Tia dressed in green felt Christmas tree costumes with bells for ornaments. Their faces framed in tree hats with blinking stars on top and bodies draped to look like a cut-out of a pine tree. Each had a little plaid **scarf** round their neck.

Throwing his arms in the air, "How adorable!" Next, the client bent down and snapped a picture of the Christmas tree decked puppies with wildly wagging tails. "My wife is going to love this."

Ranger handed each a biscuit from his desk drawer that the puppies were watching intently and came around his desk. Kissing Stephanie quickly trying not to bust a gut as the puppies pranced around as trees. "Babe, this is Rolie. Rolie Polie, this is my wife Stephanie."

He shook hands with her.

"How adorable, Rolie Polie," Stephanie giggled.

Rolie's cell phone rang, "Pinkie, aren't they adorable! What kind of dogs my wife wants to know?"

"Part Dalmatian and part Wiener dog," Stephanie responded proudly.

"Did you hear that? Oh my, I can totally see that," Rollie was talking and his free hand flying about, his art deco glasses sliding down his thin nose. "Let me ask. My wife is an artist. She would like to photograph your puppies in their costumes. She is going to have an upcoming show at our gallery. The show is going to be titled 'Dogs About Town' and she would like to have them in it."

"Toby and Tia like to ride on the bus," Stephanie told him.

The would-be-client hopped up and down, "How perfect. Puppies on a bus!"

Ranger couldn't handle anymore. "I'll let you work everything out, Babe," kissing her forehead and walking out of his office straight to Tank's.

"What's up?" his best friend asked.

Ranger just stared for a moment then just began laughing, "I have a man named 'Rolie Polie' in my office. His wife is 'Pinkie Polie'. My wife has our puppies dressed as jingling Christmas trees. The Alien suits were absurd. I had to pull over a couple of times driving to my parent's house for Thanksgiving dinner in Newark because Stephanie had them dressed as Pilgrims. Try driving with those two puppies in the front seat with Stephanie wearing little Pilgrim hats strapped to their heads. I think Frank, Ellen, and Grandma in the back of the Mercedes thought I was losing it, when I was. My family didn't think anything of it that there were midget Pilgrims running around on Thanksgiving. The neighbors even came over to see the Dwieners. I can just see it, the baby and puppies in matching outfits when we go out. Now, Pinkie Polie is an artist and wants to photograph the puppies like that, I think, putting the pictures in an upcoming show called 'Dogs About Town'. They think it's cute that Toby and Tia ride the fucking bus!" His eyes were actually bugging out slightly. "Did I take a wrong turn somewhere this morning?"

Tank was crying from his laughter listening to his Boss's rant which he doesn't remember him ever doing before the puppies or saying so much.

Ranger let out a breath, squared his shoulders, and headed back towards his office.

"I think Ranger's having a nervous breakdown," Lester chuckled from the doorway.

Bobby watched as his boss walked down the hallway, 'Just wait until the baby gets here."

"OK, we'll see you tomorrow at 2, Pinkie," Stephanie said into the phone. "I can't wait either. Bye,' handing the phone back to Rolie.

Her husband was listening to the end of the conversation thinking about Toby and Tia being photographed as trees.

Stephanie was excited, "Ranger, Pinkie wants to photograph them! Maybe even paint a portrait of them!"

"That's wonderful, Babe."

"In their Christmas trees it could be like a winter wonderland photo shoot. Their little **sleigh bells ring**ing and fake **snow is glistening **as they play in it. Christmas tree Dwieners **walking in a winter wonderland**. We can get a picture and use it for our Christmas cards."

He was actually pinching himself on the back of his bicep to keeping from bursting out into a fit of laughter again, his control was slipping. "Sounds wonderful, Babe."

"Here, Carlos," Rolie handed him the signed security contract, "Pinkie wants Rangeman to handle the security upgrade. She can't wait to meet your puppies tomorrow. Maybe we all could take a bus ride together. I bet our little four legged kids would love it, too!"

Ranger groaned internally. No bus ride with eight dogs. He didn't think so.

"I know Dan the bus driver. He loves the Dwieners!" She tapped her stomach. "Carlos and I are expecting."

"Fab-O!" Rolie was heading out the door to the elevator. He patted the puppies and gave a finger wave, "See you tomorrow."

"I like him," Stephanie said cheerfully, "and I can't wait to meet Pinkie. Ranger, we have to get going to the doctor's."

Grabbing his keys, "Let's go, Babe."

They put a green Tia in Tank's arms and the other in Lester's.

"Mommy and Daddy will pick you up at Uncle Tank and Aunt Lulu's house in a little while," kissing her babies then getting on the elevator with Ranger.

"Babe, I hope the doctor's office isn't as crazy," wrapping hiss arms around his pregnant wife as they went down to the garage.

A while later, Stephanie was looking at her husband coming out of his dead faint lying on the doctor's office floor. "Blub, Blub, Blub." A quieter "Thump, Thump, Thump" also registering on the fetal monitor.

"Congratulations, Stephanie and Carlos. It's twins."

"Did you hear that, Ranger? Twin Baby Manosos to go with our twin Dwiener Manosos. We'll be one big happy family."


	21. Chapter 21

_**Tell Him**_

_**Chapter 21**_

"_**A Tree Cutting We Will Go"**_

Ranger was sitting at his desk staring at the computer, nothing was registering. A smile on his face still from last night now that the shock had worn off, they were having twins. He chuckled when they told Stephanie's parents after the doctor's appointment, Frank immediately light a candle praying for a grandson. He was at church before the sun was up lighting one at the altar her mother called to tell her.

Getting up to visit his bride, rounding the corner her heard Stephanie sniffling. Taking three large Ranger sized steps, "Babe, what's wrong?"

"Nothing." blowing her nose.

Toby and Tia were looking up at him with sad eyes and un-perky ears.

"Babe, tell me," effortlessly slipping his arms under her and resting her in his lap as he sat down. Pregnancy hormones the doctor warned about must be really kicking in today.

"We'll have to move with the twins. The puppies and I love our house," wetting his black t-shirt.

"We're not moving," brushing her curls tenderly and wiping tears with a gentle thumb. "We have three bedrooms. The babies won't need rooms of their own for a long while. If there are ever more than two children, then eventually we may need to consider it. We're just settling into our home," kissing her red nose from crying. "I love our house because it's ours. Just think how much more special it will be with two new babies. Our babies."

"Really? Did you hear that, Babies? We're not moving."

Giving a 'YIP", both sets of ears perked up immediately and they started running around, sadness a thing of the past.

"I swear they understand you, Babe."

He heard sniffling behind him. There was Tank, Lester, and Bobby standing at Lester's cubicle.

"That's beautiful, Ranger," Lester choked. All three were wiping their eyes. "Our pregnancy hormones are making us weepy, too."

"Why me?" he told them back with slightly closed Cuban eyes.

Looking up at her husband with watery blue eyes, "Ranger, this weekend since it's supposed to snow a little, can we drive to the Christmas tree farm in the country and cut down our first Christmas tree?"

"You want us to cut our own?"

"Uh Huh. Please?"

"OK, Babe. But you'll need to be careful so you don't fall," rubbing her stomach. "I don't want you or our babies to get hurt."

"We'll be fine. Do Toby and Tia want to go to the country with Mommy and Daddy?"

Now, the puppies were wildly dancing around and barking louder through the office.

Ranger just shook his head. It was bad enough when they went to Miami for their honeymoon, Ranger never said anything; he just reserved a private jet so he, Stephanie, and the puppies could go. Leaving them for a week would have been unbearable for her. He didn't want the mother of his twins upset, so they packed up the Dwieners to head South. Now, they needed to go to the country go pick out a Christmas tree!

"We need Christmas trees, too," Tank was batting his eyes at Ranger and Stephanie.

An eyebrow rose, "You're big ex-Army guys who can cut down your own trees, you know."

Lester gave puppy dog eyes, "But, Stephanie knows all the fun places and it's our first holiday in our new neighborhood."

"Fine, you three can come. Santos, you're accompanying Stephanie, the puppies, and Grandma to Pinkie's studio since I'm not permitted to go," giving his wife the eyebrow now.

"Ranger," Stephanie cooed seductively, "I want it to be a surprise for you, and you can be a little intimidating," holding up her thumb and index finger spaced apart. "I don't want the puppies to be scared. It's their first photo shoot."

"I said I would stay here, but Lester is going."

"Thank you," kissing his jaw.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Ranger was dressed and ready to go cut down the Christmas tree. Jeans, turtleneck under a denim shirt, and hiking boots. Trenton received about 2 inches from the first snowfall of the season last night. "Babe, everyone is waiting out front."

"We're ready."

Scampering towards him were Toby and Tia in their puppy sweaters. She had a little pink knit hat with a whitepom-pom on top with matching scarf to complete the outfit. Toby's were blue to match his doggie sweater. Each had a little shiny black bootie on each paw. Happy expressions on their Dwiener faces.

"Babe, they have been Aliens, Pilgrims, and Christmas trees. Now, Nanooks of the North, ey!"

"Silly, they couldn't wear their trees so someone didn't mistake them for a tree! Toby and Tia will stand out now."

"Let's go," taking Stephanie's hand and grabbing the leashes before going out the door to the warming truck. He was glancing as his sexy wife in her thick quilted jacket with fake fur trim and her brown suede boots with white tassels. Wrapped around her neck a soft knitted scarf in brown, white, blue with matching mittens.

Pulling out of the driveway, Ranger could see the heads rolling with merriment at the winterized Dwieners.

Ranger couldn't achieve a driving zone, again. He kept getting glimpses of the little tossel caps behind him on the backseat watching for the country. Chuckling, nothing surprised him anymore in regard to those puppies. Since meeting Stephanie, his life has been anything but normal. Since the puppies came along with their outfits, it was bordering beyond insanity like Jerry Springer crazy when a woman confessed to her husband she was actually a man but was afraid of needles and couldn't finish the sex change operation so she was going to clown school.

"Look, Toby and Tia! It's the country!' Stephanie told the excited puppies with noses pressed to the truck window taking in the scenery.

"Bobby, how come Stephanie gets all the really cute outfits for her puppies?" looking at Samson wearing a plain green knit sweater.

"We need to go shopping with her."

Lula was head to toe Eskimo in her long, white quilted coat with fuzzy boots, "Its cold out here, Batman!"

"Tankie will keep you warm."

"I know you will, Baby!" Lula snuggled into her man.

Once they paid their tree fees and got their cups of hot chocolate, Farmer Brown who looked like Mr. Green Jeans from Captain Kangaroo loaded humans and dogs into the wagon starting out for the growing acres of pine trees. He was chuckling Ranger could see in his plexiglass cab of the tractor at the pink and blue hatted and sweatered puppies.

Lula got everyone to sing a chorus of "Jingle Bells" on the way out after threatening bodily harm.

Stephanie, Toby, and Tia finally decided on a perfectly shaped 7 foot Blue Spruce. Ranger stood back as his woman and puppies ran in the snow going from tree to tree. Scarves blowing with their movements. All enjoying the snow. Once all three trees were cut and loaded, big fluffy white snowflakes began falling.

"We got to sing 'Winter Wonderland', Skinny White Girl!"

Giving evil eyes around the wagon, Lula started singing loud enough to wake the hibernating animals.

"_**Sleigh bells ring  
are you listening  
in the lane  
snow is glistening  
a beautiful sight  
we're happy tonight  
walking in a winter wonderland."**_

"Babe," Ranger could swear the Dwieners were bobbing their little heads with pom pom hats in time with the song. It was Christmas insanity Stephanie style.


	22. Chapter 22

"_**Tell Him"**_

_**Chapter 22**_

_**'Dogs About Town'**_

Toby and Tia were barking excitedly.

"Babe," Ranger said as the Porsche drove past 'The Art of Trenton' Gallery and into the parking lot. The massive glass windows of the tall vertical building where lined with colored lights. The marquee looked right off Broadway all lit up with spot lights shining on it reading "Opening tonight: DOGS ABOUT TOWN. Featuring Toby and Tia Manoso". A bright light was circling on top of the building lighting the dark evening sky.

"Our puppies are so excited. Their names are in lights, Ranger," Stephanie giggled at the little Christmas trees looking out the window at all the activity.

"I'm thinking," Ranger muttered more to himself, "of changing mine."

Stephanie tried to give him her best evil eye.

"Let's go."

The puppies walking proudly on their leashes along the sidewalk to the entrance. '**Jingles Bells, Jingle Bells' **playing in the cold, crisp winter air. Ranger had a protective arm about Stephanie's waist since there was a dusting of snow the city received today. He didn't want her to slip in her electric blue pumps. Opening the door, the trees pranced in with wagging tails and blinking stars ahead of Stephanie.

They were met with Dean Martin singing '**Baby, its cold outside'**. Sucking in his breath as he helped his wife out of her white swing coat revealing the strapless electric blue cocktail dress with its empire waist, the roundness beginning to show with the growing twins.

Moving her curls, his lips kissed her neck, "You're so beautiful, Babe."

"You're yummy," Stephanie licked her lips at the image of her Cuban husband in his black Armani suit.

On the entrance wall, a large black and white photograph with Toby and Tia looking out the bus window with other dogs. One he recognized as Samson.

'Were you two having fun?" Ranger asked as the puppies yipped at the picture.

Tank came out of the main gallery with a glass of wine in one hand and his other holding Lula's. She was in a banana yellow beaded cocktail dress with matching high heeled sandals. Chuckling, "I hope you brought your checkbook."

He just raised an eyebrow.

"There you are, my stars of the night!" a blur of hot pink, orange and purple was hugging the Dwieners. Wavy pink hair in a messy up-do with hot pink paint brushes sticking out of it. She was wearing a kimono and little white winged eyeglasses on her face.

"Pinkie, this is Carlos, my husband."

Putting a puppy in Stephanie's arms, "Hi there," shaking Ranger's hand vigorously. "I bet you are so proud of these adorable puppies."

He brought himself out of his stunned stupor the woman in front of him caused, "Everyday."

"Here, a souvenir," Rolie hugged Stephanie, patted the puppies, and shook Ranger's hand in a normal handshake handing them a black gallery program. On the front, the photograph of the puppies on the bus and white letters 'Dogs About Town'. The gallery co-owner was dressed conservatively in a shiny lime green suit with a black and white striped shirt and the same striped shoes.

"Go explore," Pinkie waved them towards the gallery.

Stepping in the doorway of a large room with the walls filled with photographs and painting of dogs. Many of Toby and Tia dressed as Aliens, Pilgrims, Christmas trees, and without costumes. There were decorated trees through out the gallery with white twinkling lights. People milling around viewing the pictures. He saw Stephanie's parents. His parents and a couple of siblings. Rangemen were scattered about also. Some of the guests had to be from the art community from their unusual outfits.

"May I have everyone's attention," Pinkie called out hushing the room. "I want to introduce the little stars of my show along with my precious babies, Big Guy," who was the Great Dane, "Twinkie and Twoodles," the Shih Tzus, "and Larry, Moe, and Curly," the Cocker Spaniels." She picked up the Christmas treed puppies, "These are Toby and Tia with their proud parents, Stephanie and Carlos Manoso."

Applause broke out and Ranger picked up some snickers from his friends.

"Music, please," Pinkie asked. "I want to set the mood as I reveal what I think is one of my best works."

Coming over the speakers:

'**Sleigh bells ring  
are you listening  
in the lane  
snow is glistening  
a beautiful sight  
we're happy tonight  
walking in a winter wonderland.'**

Rolie wheeled a covered panel into the middle of the room.

"This," Pinkie explained, "I think this captures the essence of fun that is in their little puppy hearts." She slowly pulled off the sheet revealing a large black and white photograph of Stephanie in a long white fur coat with a hood framing her beautiful face running in snow with Toby and Tia in their tossel caps, sweaters, and scarves scampering with her. Stephanie was laughing in the picture. Her eyes were left blue in the mirage of black and white.

Ranger knew his checkbook would dip slightly with the purchase of that art piece. People were 'Oohing' and 'Awing'.

"This one is sold," Ranger pointed to Pinkie.

There were prints of dogs in grocery carts, in Frank Plum's cab, one with a smiling Old Dan surrounded by puppies on the bus. At a dirt pile, all the dogs were digging. Dogs in a car going through a car wash. The Great Dane behind the wheel of a police cruiser. Puppies on a fire truck.

Ranger turned a corner, the song changed to '**Chestnuts roasting on an open fire.'**

"That can't be art!" Frank was pointing to a large photograph of Grandma dressed in an angel outfit with wings lying on a bear skin run in front of a fire. She was wearing dog ears and painted whiskers. Dogs all around her with wings in the picture.

An old man with thick glasses yelled, "I want that for over my mantle. You're hot!" His attention on Grandma dressed as an angel. "We can toast marshmallows if you come over."

"Marshmallows! How about I toast something better?" batting her eyes at him and walking fingers across his pudgy chest.

"Not too much. I have a pacemaker."

Grandma blew in his ear but loud enough to be heard, "I give good mouth to mouth."

Ranger was watching Frank; he downed three glasses of wine. "Crazy old bat," he muttered into his wine glass.

He listened to his mother and mother-in-law talking Ranger assumed to an art critic. That's what the pencil thin man looked like with a notepad.

Saying proudly, Ellen was gushing maybe more from the wine floating around, "Toby and Tia are our grand puppies."

'Thanksgiving was so special this year with those little puppy Pilgrims running about," Carmella Manoso added as the man wrote in a little tablet.

"They dig at our house. Stephanie and Carlos' backyard is on big hole."

The three moved to more gallery offerings, the reporter eating up every word spoke to him. Ranger could just imagine what the art section of the newspaper would say about the Dwieners and the gallery opening. He didn't realize there was something behind them, but saw it when they moved. A sculptured fountain of unmistakable Dwieners facing in opposite directions with water bubbling out of the tops of their tails down into a shallow pool.

"Ranger, isn't the fountain amazing? Look," Stephanie handed him a card with red and green paw prints all over the front. Inside read 'Merry Christmas'. He turned it over and chuckled. 'From the paws of Toby and Tia Manoso. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to the Point Pleasant Animal Shelter'. "I bet you didn't know our puppies were so talented."

"No, Babe," chuckling, "how many did you buy?"

"Five boxes. I'll save them for Christmas next year."

He didn't say anything else, but just raised an eyebrow.

"I told you your checkbook would be thinner," Tank was laughing as Ranger was signing a credit card receipt.

"Two pound puppies just cost me $10,000."

"But look what that money bought you. A fountain, photographs," Tank tapped the large winter one of Stephanie and the puppies he was dropping off at their house, a charcoal drawing of Stephanie and the puppies for Ranger's office, and all the prints with the Dwieners by themselves in and out of costumes.

"Merry Christmas to me," he smirked. Ranger knew he was just as crazy as Stephanie who was hugging her four legged Christmas trees before they left the gallery. The newest sensations of the Trenton art scene. She was happy and that was all that really mattered to him.


	23. Chapter 23

__

Always, they belong to JE. A response to the Rangeman Writer's challenge.

****

Tell Him

Chapter 23

"Babe," Ranger just shook his head getting off the elevator.

Toby and Tia ran ahead. He watched their heart shaped heads scamper down the hallway with their little blowing capes. Tia in pink and Toby in red.

"It's cold outside, Ranger, and Valentine's Day is coming."

He just looked at his wife, "How could I forget?" It was like they just got over the Christmas trees. Now they were prancing about as hearts. He didn't say much because they made Stephanie happy and she was carrying his twins. It was getting ridiculous because the puppies had almost as many outfits as she had for herself.

Today, the soon-to-be parents were going to the doctor's office. It was Stephanie's ultrasound and both were anxious to learn the sex of their babies. She showed more and more everyday with the growing twins. Hearing those two beating hearts with every visit made Ranger's heart swell even more if that was possible. Stephanie was his reason to breathe, the love of his life, and she was carrying his two babies. He couldn't forget about the two pound puppies that added comedy to their lives and lightened his wallet by $10,000 with all the photographs, prints, and fountain he purchased from their big gallery debut. It was only money and Ranger loved sitting at his desk gazing lovingly at the almost life-size picture of Stephanie, Toby, and Tia in the snow.

As Christmas presents for their parents, they got portraits of Stephanie and Ranger posing in black turtlenecks against a dark background with the spotted Dwieners. His wife dragged him to that as a surprise so the photographer with the paintbrushes in her hair could snap a lasting memory. What a present! Their parents were just as crazy loving it and proudly displaying their little family on mantles. He had one on his bookshelf to accompany the charcoal drawing of his beautiful wife.

"Toby and Tia are going to stay with Uncle Tank, Uncle Bobby, and Uncle Lester," Stephanie put her puppy girl in the second in command's arms and Ranger put his boy heart in Bobby's, "while Mommy and Daddy are at the doctors, then well go see Grandpa."

The little Dwiener tails wagging. Lester was holding Samson who was sporting an Abe Lincoln stove pipe hat with attached beard and black coat. Rangeman was going to the dogs. Maybe to save money, he should open a doggie boutique in the empty building next door so the costumes are at cost and Stephanie could resale the old ones. They would run out of storage room for all the costumes for all the special occasions.

"Lets go, Babe," Ranger was trying not to laugh but looking a dog wearing a hat and beard was too much.

****

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Tara, Dr. Gilbert's nurse led Stephanie and Ranger back to exam room 2 after checking Stephanie's weight and blood pressure.

"After the visit with the doctor, then we'll take you back to the ultrasound suite. Are you excited to see your babies?" the tall young nurse with long blond hair asked.

Ranger answered for both with a definite "Yes."

She helped Stephanie up on the table, "Dr. Gilbert's going to listen to the heart beats so you just need to expose your stomach."

"This? I look like Santa Claus in the making," gently shaking her rounding stomach. "I can imagine how big I'll be in 4 months."

"Babe," a warm dark hand was rubbing her exposed expanding belly, "they're ours."

Stephanie's eyes twinkled, "I'll let you carry one around to share the load."

The eyebrow arched, "I think my load did its job." Ranger had that smart-ass tone to his laugh.

A 'Burg' hand slapped a muscled arm, "You!"

"No beating up the father now. You'll need him around for those 2 O'clock feedings and diaper changes," Dr. Gilbert walked in the door. He was a man in his forties and delivered all three of Mary Lou's boys. And, according to Ranger's research one of the best obstetricians in the Trenton and Philadelphia areas. "Your BP is excellent and gained a few pounds. That's good."

Stephanie pointed to her roundness, "It looks like more than a few pounds!"

"Well, there are two babies growing in there," rubbing the gel over her exposed stomach then gliding the monitor over it.

Instantly "Blup, Blup, Blup" and a softer "Thup, Thup, Thup" filled the room.

Stephanie noticed Ranger's eyes misting like they had done the prior visits listening to the heartbeats.

The doctor turned off the monitor and Ranger tissued the gel off his wife. "I pronounce those strong heartbeats. Let's go see what these two actually look like."

Lovingly, Ranger smoothed his wife's black Rangeman polo shirt over their babies and helped her off the exam table.

Tara handed Stephanie a glass of water, "It makes everything easier to view if you have a full bladder."

Stephanie drank a little, "I'm always peeing. I don't need more water."

"Babe."

Stephanie got comfortable in what looked like a dentist chair. Cindy the technician lifted her top and spread more gel on it.

"Will this help with stretch marks?" Stephanie teased since this was the second time she was being greased of the morning.

"Use cocoa butter and vitamin e oil. That's what I used with all three of my children. Ready?" She began to move the wand over Stephanie's stomach and adjusted the screen. The form of a tiny baby became clear, then a head and arm of the other sibling behind it.

"Babe, our babies."

"This is the heart," Dr. Gilbert pointed to the small beating chest of the front twin. "Kidneys." The one baby in the front moved slightly and the other was seen clear when Tara moved the monitor.

When the screen enlarged, they got a close up on a developing face and 5 minute fingers touching the mouth, then the other baby in a larger focus.

"Those are two perfectly developing babies," the obstetrician smiled at the parents turning on the stool to face them. Both had tears on their cheeks. "Do you want to know their sex or waiting for a surprise in the delivery room?"

"We want to know!" Stephanie raised herself up towards the doctor speaking for both of them. She glanced over at her proud husband grinning from ear to ear nodding in agreement.

"This," touching the screen enlarging the baby in the front. Ranger looked twice. "A boy."

They could see baby plumbing. He gave Stephanie an eyebrow.

"He'll follow in his father's footsteps in that department," Stephanie teased gazing as their son stretching his small legs.

Cindy moved the wand to Stephanie's side so the other baby was viewed and Dr. Gilbert tapped the screen making this twin bigger also, "A girl."

"One of each, Babe!" Not caring about the doctor or technician, Ranger kissed his wife in a gentle way then deepened it. "A son and a daughter."

Dr. Simon cleared his throat, "I know why she's pregnant."

Stephanie blushed breaking apart. Both blue eyes and brown gazed with adoration at the screen seeing their babies before the technician removed the wand and cleaned Stephanie's stomach.

"They are healthy babies so enjoy your pregnancy. Try not to do a rapid weight gain and watch the sugar intake. If you are tired, then take a rest, Stephanie. You have a boy and a girl in there who are growing and in the coming months fighting for space. Get exercise but don't overdue it."

Ranger voiced the concerns he had in the back of his mind, "What if the babies become too big? Could Stephanie experience an early delivery?"

"Stephanie will be monitored closely in the last months. It is always possible with any pregnancy of an early delivery. If it happens the babies grow too big, then we could always induce labor or perform a C-section, but both appear to be just right for their age."

"Ranger," her hand cupping his cheek, "we'll be fine. You'll just have to help me get my shoes on the right feet."

"Always, Babe."

Lunch was at Pino's. Neither one really aware of what they ate studying the ultrasound pictures of their babies.

"Ranger, can I ask a favor of you?"

Stephanies hand was warm between his two bringing it to his lips across the table from his beautiful wife, "Anything."

"Daddy's been wanting a grandson. When we choose our son's name, can his middle name be Frank?"

Brown soft eyes looking back at her, "I wouldn't want it any other way. Have you any names picked out?"

Fumbling in her purse, Stephanie opened a small notebook she had been jotting names and things she wanted for the babies. Now she knew it would be a set of girl things and a set of boys. Opening it, she slid her list of baby names to her husband.

He scanned the names for both. Her favorite picks for a boy and a girl had little stars by them. Cuban fingers tapped on them, "I like them, Babe." Picking up the check and ultrasound pictures, " Let's go get the Terror Twins and make your father's day."

Stephanie and Ranger barely got in the Plum's front door with their puppy hearts, when Frank boomed, "Well?"

"Can I at least take off my coat, Daddy?" Stephanie kissed him after rolling her eyes.

Her mother took their coats and hurried back to a waiting Mr. Plum and Grandma.

Ranger handed Stephanies father a picture, "Meet Ryleigh Anne," then the second one, "and Tyler Frank Manoso."

Stephanies father froze gazing at the images. The second the names registered, his steely blue eyes shot to his son-in-law, then on his younger daughter, "One of each. A grandson and granddaughter." He handed the photographs to his wife and mother-in-law.

"Tyler Frank and Ryleigh Anne, Daddy," Stephanie repeated their choices for their son and daughter's names.

"Wa Hoo! That's a pip!" Grandma hugged her granddaughter. "I bet he has his fathers package. Wait till I tell the girls down at the beauty parlor. We're getting a boy."

Grandma shook Rangers hand, "Congratulations. Here's some womanly advice for you. **Don't ever forget two things I'm going to tell you**."

"OK, Grandma," Ranger nodding never knowing what might come out of her mouth.

**_"One, don't believe everything that's written about you_. Unless, its in the newspaper about me and it tells how many times I'm getting it. I won't lie about that. ****_Two_," holding up boney fingers, "****_don't pick up too many checks_, you got two hungry babies coming to feed and diaper."**

"You're a crazy old bat," Frank told them slipping on his coat and picking up the car keys.

Ellen questioned her husband, "Frank, where you are going?"

He hugged Stephanie and Ranger, "Thank you. I got planning to do. I'm going to teach Tyler and Ryleigh, she's going to be a Tomboy I can feel it, about baseball. How to **_run_ the ****_bases_, ****_swing_ the bat, ****_catch_ the ****_ball_, throw a curve pitch to ****_strike_ out the batter, if needed ****_walk_ the batter if he or she doesn't get the batter out," kissing his wife. "Ellen, I'm stopping at the garden store. I think we should put in that soft grass sod used on the baseball ****_fields_ out back or astro turf," smiling at his family. "I knew those Cuban genes could do it." Without realizing what he did, a happy Frank Plum kissed Ranger on the cheek and hustled out the door.**

Ranger looked at Stephanie, "Babe, think your father is happy?"

"Probably as happy as you are," his wife poked his ribs.

"Oh yeah," kissing his wife.


End file.
